Here I am, making this so often that I did not even take it seriously! Only recently when a reader pointed it out to me that I actually realized that in 400 odd posts that I have here, I don't even have one raita recipe!!!!! Not even one!! I was surprised! There are umpteenth raita varieties. Raita is a Indian Condiments which is made from Yogurt. Call it dip or sauce, it is a must especially in the Northern parts of India. What is called as "Raita" in the North is called as "Pacchadi" in the South (with the exception of Andhra State - I think there it also means pickles/sauce not necessarily made with yogurt)

When I landed in the U.S.A I was astounded to see so many varieties of yogurt. I took it for granted that yogurt was a staple here too just like in India! I couldn't have been so wrong. In India, its hard to imagine a meal without having curd/yogurt in it. South Indians have the habit of finishing their meal with curd/yogurt rice as their last course. Where steamed rice is mixed with plain curd and enjoyed with Indian pickle. So you can go to any Indian household and know for sure they carry yogurt :) My mother chanced upon this raita as a fluke. She makes yummy pulao during weekends which she garnished with fried bread croutons. Once she made croutons in excess (not that we would have minded! We love it), she just dropped some in the raita she had made. They tasted equally delicious. I make it often too - but instead of frying the bread, I dry toast them. Either in a skillet or in an Oven. Also my mother used to use white bread (whole wheat bread used to suck big time in India during that time) - but here with so many healthier options available, I use them. Lets go to the recipe