This is the simple, plain raita recipe. You can call this a tadka raita since tempering is made and added to the whisked yogurt. You’ll need 5 minutes only to make this raita.
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❤️About This Recipe
Super easy to make: Whisk yogurt with spices and add tempering of green chili, curry leaves on top.
Quick to make: It takes only 5 minutes. No chopping is required.
Simple Recipe: Only 8 ingredients are required to make this plain raita recipe.
Perfect for busy weekdays: I do love my cucumber raita, onion tomato raita, mint raita but those require some prep work like chopping the veggies. Vs this plain raita recipe requires no prep work and that is perfect for lazy or busy days.
🧾Ingredient Notes
You’ll need only 8 ingredients and 5 minutes to make this delicious, refreshing plain raita recipe (aka tadka raita).
- Plain yogurt: Always use chilled yogurt from the refrigerator to make any raita if serving it right away. You can use homemade or store-bought plain yogurt (aka dahi or curd).
- Roasted cumin powder: To make it at home, dry roast the cumin seeds until aromatic and they get a nice golden brown color. Let it cool down and grind into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- Green chili: I don’t like to bite into the green chilies so I have added slit chilies. So it adds flavor to the tadka raita and you can discard it while eating. If you like to bite into the chilies then you can add finely chopped green chili.
- Curry leaves: It adds a unique flavor and aroma to the dish. One should not skip it.
- Ginger: It is optional. I like to add minced ginger in this plain raita.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Take yogurt in a bowl and add salt, black salt and roasted cumin powder.
2) Beat it using a whisk until yogurt is smooth and spices are mixed well.
3) Add red chili powder to the center and keep the bowl aside. DO NOT MIX the chili powder in the yogurt. We are going to add hot tempering on the chili powder.
4) Heat the oil in a small tadka pan. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
5) Add ginger, green chili and curry leaves. Saute for 40-50 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
6) Pour this tempering immediately on top of the chili powder.
7) Mix it with a spoon and it is ready to serve. If serving later then keep it chilled in the refrigerator.
💭Expert Tips
Raita tastes best when served chilled. So always use chilled yogurt from the refrigerator. Or make this plain raita ahead of time and chill for a few hours before serving.
Why add tempering on chili powder? When hot oil is poured on the chili powder, it releases its flavor and color. It adds a very slight hint of a smokey taste to the raita.
Why not add chili powder in the tempering itself? If added into the hot oil in the tadka pan then it may have chances to get burned. Burnt chili powder doesn’t taste good. Plus, you may start sneezing because of burnt chili powder.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Serve this plain raita as a side dish with your rice dishes e.g. veg pulao, paneer biryani, tawa pulao, methi rice, etc.
- It can be served with any stuffed paratha, thepla, etc.
- It can be served along with your Indian meal that consists of dal, rice, sabzi, roti.
Check Out Other Raita Recipes
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📋 Recipe Card
Plain Raita Recipe (Tadka Raita)
Ingredients
For Raita:
- 1 ½ cups Plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Roasted cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black salt (Kala namak)
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
For Tempering:
- 2 teaspoons Oil
- ½ teaspoons Cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger minced or finely chopped, OPTIONAL
- 1 Green chili slit
- 4-5 Curry leaves
Instructions
- Take yogurt in a bowl and add salt, black salt and roasted cumin powder. Beat it using a whisk until yogurt is smooth and spices are mixed well.
- Add red chili powder to the center and keep the bowl aside. DO NOT MIX the chili powder in the yogurt. We are going to add hot tempering on the chili powder.
- Heat the oil in a small tadka pan. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
- Add ginger, green chili and curry leaves. Saute for 40-50 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
- Pour this tempering immediately on top of the chili powder.
- Mix it with a spoon and it is ready to serve.
Notes
- Raita tastes best when served chilled. So always use chilled yogurt from the refrigerator. Or make plain raita ahead of time and chill for a few hours before serving.
Anjana
Hi Kanan, I had a suggestion. It would be very helpful if you include a weekly menu planner/ simple dinner ideas kind of
Action in your blog. I think a lot of folks are in the lookout for such ideas for busy weekdays and would help a lot. Might be something you can consider for the blog. Take care!!
Kanan
Thank you Anjana for your suggestion.
I will see if I can manage to do meal plan kind of posts.
The thing is I usually do not plan for a week. I tried doing this before and sadly I failed.
I like to make the recipes as per what I have in my fridge and what suits based on the time that day I have.
If I plan ahead of time and that day I might not have much time or energy to cook that planned dish.
Also my husband gets unexpected travel for his work and since I am working remotely, I usually go with him. So meal plans never worked for me.
If I am not good at it, I am not confident about sharing those.
Kanan
Thank you so much for an award.