Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Tamater Aur Piyaaz ya Kheere ka Raita (Tomato & Onion Or Cumcumber Yogurt Sauce)

Yogurt has a special significance in Indian culture and religion. It is considered sacred and a purifying agent because of the relationship of cowmilk with many Hindu rituals and because yogurt, or curds as many Indian call it, were eaten up by the baby Lord Krishna.

Fresh clay praats (flat saucers) of yogurt with a thick layer of congealed cream on top are readily available at the halwai’s (sweet maker’s) shop all across most Indian cities though modern diaries now sell yogurt in white plastic pouches at kiosks. The taste of fresh halwai yogurt is very similar to the Greek yogurt that is so popular these days.

Yogurt has medicinal value too: it is quickly soothing in the blazing Indian summers, easily digested when eaten at lunchtime and should be avoided at night time. It is considered a good cure for severe diarrhea, especially when eaten with khichri (runny rice and lentils). Yogurt provides high protein content to a vegetarian diet.

Raita or yogurt sauce is a byproduct of yogurt and is eaten all over India to complement and soften the taste – and sometimes the spiciness – of many Indian dishes. Raita must have the right consistency so that it doesn’t run all over the plate and can be eaten with roti, paranthas or chawal (rice).

Raita is a quick dish to make and when made with vegetables can take the place of a salad, which, for most Punjabi meals, is a very simple arrangement of tamater (tomatoes), kheere (cucumbers), piyaaz (onions) and hari mirch (green peppers) – the same ingredients used in the raitas below. Cucumbers – just like mooli (radishes) – are not easily digestible and may upset the stomach so it is best not to make kheera raita in the evenings. I will present the ghia (squash) raita later.

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Tamater Piyaaz Raita Ingredients: 

500gm saddi dahi (plain yogurt)

½ medium piyazz (onion)

1 medium tamater (tomato)

½ cup doodh (milk)

10 leaves of pudina (mint) (cut in halves)

½ teaspoon jeera (cumin) – optional if you like the taste

Spices to taste: namak (salt),    mirch (red pepper)

Tamater Piyaaz Raita Directions:

1. Peel the onion and then chop into small pieces. Wash the tomato and likewise chop into small pieces. Set aside.

2. Place the dahi in a bowl and stir it thoroughly adding the milk to it. Add the salt and pepper to taste and mix in the mint leaves. Roast some jeera seeds on a tava (flat plate), grind them and sprinkle on the raita.

3.  Throw in the copped tomato and onion and mix well but gently. Chill for 10 minutes and serve.

Kheera Raita Ingredients: 

500gm saddi dahi (plain yogurt)

1 large kheera (cucumber)

½ cup doodh (milk)

10 leaves of pudina (mint) (cut in halves)

½ teaspoon jeera (cumin) – optional if you like the taste

Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper)

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Kheera Raita Directions:

1.  Peel the cucumber and then run over a handheld grate. Set aside.

2. Place the dahi in a bowl and stir it thoroughly adding the milk to it. Add the salt and pepper to taste and mix in the mint leaves. Roast some jeera seeds on a tava (flat plate), grind them and sprinkle on the raita.

3. Throw in the grated cucumber and mix well. Chill for 10 minutes and serve.

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Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.