For something this simple, Raita can add such a special touch to any Indian meal. This is particularly true when the meal is rich and/or spicy. And to make it all the more interesting, the variations are galore! Any vegetables/fruits (or in combination of) can be added, depending on where your wild creativity takes you. For today, I am keeping it to something that's very simple and straightforward to make.

I have always been a sucker for wide assortment of colorful vegetables in my meals. When I saw these Rainbow Carrots in my Farmer's market, I had to buy them. I used them in various recipes (instead of regular carrots) and this simple raita was one of them. It was so beautiful to look at that it got over before the meal itself . I tend to buy vegetables with their greens attached (if available of course) - like Beets, carrots etc for 2 reasons. One, it helps that most of such greens are edible and nutritious and two, they help to ascertain the freshness of the vegetables. All that beautiful "polishing" and "waxing" can be very misleading in ascertaining the freshness of the produce and when an opportunity is available when you can actually check for freshness yourself, why not use it?

There is a big controversy regarding the safety of consuming carrot greens. Many resources claim they are. But one resource (I cannot seem to find the link I saw it in), said that its not as safe for children as it is for grown ups. No idea about the authenticity of such an information although having a small kid myself, I am not ready for any risk. At the same time, I have to add, that I did cook carrot greens - considerable number of times -  before the little one was born. I am still all alive and safe to tell you the story - so there :)