Spinach Raita

I had invited a few people over for dinner – the same dinner that I had planned in advance and had to change several items due to circumstances (see previous post).  One of the things I made according to plan was the spinach raita.

I love spinach raita.  It tastes fabulous and is so simple to make.  I combine Greek yogurt to home made yogurt while making this because it gives the raita a rich, creamy taste.

Normally, when I cook for a party, I always second-guess myself on quantities and end up making way more food than people can possibly eat.  My guests then end up taking doggy bags and we end up eating leftovers for a couple of days.

This time, I deliberately stopped myself from adding more and more items to the menu.  The result – I hardly had enough leftovers and there was still some food left that I knew people did not have to go without.

 I make this raita when I make a heavy/spicy meal – paneer, chole etc.  It enhances the taste of the food without overwhelming it and provides a cooling touch to the dinner.

 

Here is what you need:

• 1 tsp. oil
• ½ tsp. jeera (cumin seeds)
• ½ tsp. saunf (fennel seeds)
• 1 green chili, diced fine
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• salt to taste
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• ½ lb. baby spinach, washed and chopped (you can use frozen spinach too)
• 1½ cups yogurt
• ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt

For garnish:

• freshly roasted and coarsely powdered jeera
• red chili powder

Here is how I made it:

1. Heat the oil.  Add jeera and saunf. 
2. After the jeera changes color, add green chili and onions.
3. Sauté for a few minutes till the onions become translucent.  Add salt and turmeric.  Mix well.
4. Add the spinach and sauté on medium heat till the spinach is wilted.
5. Turn off the heat and let this cool.
6. Beat the regular yogurt and Greek yogurt together.  Add the spinach mixture and mix well.
7. Pour this into a serving bowl and sprinkle the fresh roasted jeera and chili powder for garnish.

Serve as an accompaniment to a spicy meal.