Spicy Curd....& Carrot Raita

I love curds in all it's forms...eaten plain or sweetened ( if thickened a bit it is like shrikand )  or made into chaas ( buttermilk ) which is  how we currently tend to have it ...just water and salt and all churned up (simple )...or sometimes we spice it up a bit with chillies or ginger or sometimes a pinch of chaat masala...

It is so versatile and we generally have it in some form of the other...sometimes I make a raita with either boondi or some veggie which could be potato, onion, spinach ( already posted ), cucumber, carrot...each one as delicious as the other...or sometimes I make curd rice...and had with pickles & or papad it can serves as a light meal.

T's cousin is the one who introduced us to spicy curd, it is so simple to make and yet it is like a good dip to use, we even have it with handwo ( which is another of her speciality, she is an awesome cook and also grows some veggies and herbs )...
I used the same to make my carrot raita and we thought it was just amazing...so decided just have to write this down...
So with big thanks to A for her handwo, spicy curd, brownies and loads of other yummy dishes, I am posting this....

Spinach Raita

I am always looking to use spinach in dishes...mainly hidden ...as in dhokla, handwo, soup ( blended ) or palak paneer etc...cause leaves in any dish by itself is not eaten at our place...even methi is used with flour to make methi thepla or parathas...though aloo methi is one of personal favourites...love the bitter taste of methi leaves..( though that brings me to  another whole story )....

Spinach Raita

I had been longing to make this dish (spinach raita) ever since I had eaten in at a cousin's place...but as I said was wary of the reaction to it....but I needn't have worried, this turned out so amazing..so creamy and smooth ...with sour, sweet and spicy flavours blending so well to turn into a dish which could be had as a side, as a raita, with the whole meal or actually just by itself with rotis, or parathas....


Ingredients:

1 cup spinach
1 cup curds
1 green chilli
2 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 dry red chilli
salt to taste
1/4 roasted cumin powder
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp of sugar - or to taste

Method :

1) Whisk the curds till smooth in a bowl and keep aside.

2) Wash the spinach leaves and chop it fine...take a pan, put about a teaspoon of oil and add ginger, green chilli chopped, fry for a bit and then add the chopped spinach, stir till it wilts about 5 mins...once done take out the spinach mixture and cool it totally before adding it to the curds...

3) In another pan for seasoning the raita -  take some oil, add cumin seeds, once it splutters, add chopped garlic  and the dry red chilli and pinch of asafoetida, stir for a minute and then add to the curds and spinach mixture along with salt to taste and roasted cumin powder and sugar and mix...you can adjust the seasonings according  to your personal tastes.

Serve this raita cold...the above proportions serve 2-3

This dish is both tasty and nutritous...and can be had with both rotis and rice.