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

Method

Slice the ends of the bread. This step is not really necessary and I don’t take the trouble to do it on a day to day basis

Cut them into cubes to make the croutons.

Spread them on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes until done. You can do this on a skillet – will save time My oven was already on and I was using it for something else, hence used it.

Meanwhile take the thick yogurt and place it in a bowl

Add the cumin powder, chillies, salt and cilantro. Beat it well.

Just before serving the raita add the croutons. Adding it before hand will make the bread disintegrate in the raita. We want it soft and NOT mushy. If you like, garnish it with some more roasted cumin powder and chilli powder.

I usually serve this as an accompaniment for pulao/Pilaf and biryani based dishes.

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