Capsicum Raita | Bellpepper Raita

Capsicum Raita, a simple and delicious side dish made  from curd and bell pepper/capsicum. In Tamilnadu, onion raita is quite a staple raita and it's widely served as a side dish for biryani, parotta and chapathi both in restaurants and in houses. Also, in South Tamilnadu and in Kerala, we're making "Thayir pachadi" with a lot of country vegetables like ash gourd,  cucumber and okra  which is somewhat similar to raita. 

Coming to today's recipe, here i have used a combination of yellow and orange capsicum, but you can use a single  color or any of your favorite colors. If you like capsicum flavor, then you must give this raita a try, it's simply awesome and tastes great as a side dish for all types of rotis ! Now let's check out the recipe.

Capsicum Raita

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 5 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Raita | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Capsicum Raita, Bell pepper Raita, Raita Recipe, Side dish Capsicum Raita, a simple and delicious side dish made from curd and bell pepper/capsicum.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Capsicum - 1/4 cup(chopped)

Green Chili - 1

Curd - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp(optional)

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

Chop the capsicum and green chili into small pieces. Take the curd in a bowl and add enough salt and whisk it well. Heat the pan with oil, add mustard and urad dal. Let the mustard splutters.

Then add the capsicum and green chilies with a pinch of salt. Saute till the capsicum are soft. Let it cool a bit, then add into the curd along with chopped coriander leaves. Mix it well. Tasty Capsicum Raita is ready to serve. 

Notes:

• You can use any color of capsicum in this recipe.
• I haven't used the garam masala, but for more flavor, you can add some garam masala while sauteing.

 

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Pineapple Raita, a delicious and quick to make raita from pineapple chunks. For past few months, ST has started to take curd as side for his lunch box daily, so instead of packing plain curd, sometimes i like to add some seasonal fruits which are available in my pantry at that time. Few are instant hit and like it so much like this pomegranate raita. 

Coming to this pineapple raita, when i had tried this raita for the first time, i packed it for lunch box after given a taste test which was actually really good. At lunch time, ST called me and told me that the raita was too bitter and asked me to discard the remaining.Even i had tasted, it was so bitter.

I was wondering why it turned out bitter after some time ? Then obviously i had searched on google and it says "Raw pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down the protein in your milk/milk product, making it bitter". So it's not advisable to keep pineapple and milk product together for  longer time. 

If you're making this, i would suggest to finish it off at once or if you're planning to have it later, to avoid the bitter taste, you can pre cook the pineapple and then add into the curd.  Otherwise it's such a delicious raita to finish off the meal, do give it a try and let me know how you like it. 

For the past few days, i have been listening to some of the videos from food blogger submit conference on various topics like SEO improvement, instagram engaging, how to make videos and the list goes on. After listening to all this, it was really overwhelming. 

With every inventions, there are equal amount of opportunities and challenges. If you want to excel in grabbing those opportunities, you have to face all the challenges first and over come it. Like Google search, it showcases your interest to the world(if you have page) whoever search on that particular topic, but in order to be on the top result, you need be a SEO expert first.

For me, there are days that i really want to make my page on that top list. And there are other days that i don't even care about a single thing about the blogging. So the really challenge is  always find balance between these two extreme ends and being consistent. 

Hope this is applicable to various life scenario not only blogging. But is that even possible all time? I don't know, guess even google can't answer 😜  Thanks for reading all the way to the end of my random thoughts scribbled. Now let's check out the recipe.

Pineapple Raita | Raita recipe

Preparation Time : 2 mins | Cooking Time : 0 mins | Serves : 1 
Recipe Category: Raita | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Pineapple raita, raita,yogurt,curd Pineapple Raita, a delicious and quick to make raita from pineapple chunks.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Curd - 1/4 cup
Pineapple - 1/4 cup(cubed)
Salt - a pinch
Paprika - 1/8 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/8 tsp
Mint leaves - few

Procedure

Take the curd in a bow and whisk it smooth, cut the pineapples into small pieces.

Add the pineapples,salt,paprika,cumin powder into the curd and mix it all together.

Tasty Pineapple raita is ready. Add some mint leaves on top before serving.

Related : How to make Cucumber Raita

Notes:

• Use thick curd for better taste.
• I have used fresh pineapples, but you can use caned ones also
• For extra spice,instead of paprika, you can use red chili powder.
• Cumin powder for flavor, but it's optional.
• Keep it longer time make it bitter, so it's advisable to serve it immediately.
  

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Pomegranate Raita | Pomegranate Yogurt | Raita Recipe

Pomegranate Raita, a refreshing and delicious yogurt/curd with pomegranate.More than a recipe this post is just a idea for making delicious yogurt. All you need to do is put everything together and your delicious yogurt is ready in minutes. It can be served as room temperature or as chilled, both way it tastes amazing. Coming to pomegranate, here it's bit difficult to get the good quality pomegranate. Mostly they are too sour and doesn't suit to our taste. But fortunately for the last few times, we got good pomegranate from the local store here.  Apart from eating as it is, i have been adding pomegranate seeds in raita, fruits salad & curd rice. My personal favorite is raita/yogurt, the mild pink color is really inviting and the yogurt is mildly sweet with fantastic pomegranate flavor. If you like pomegranate and have the habit of eating curd/yogurt, do give it a try!!

I didn't grew up eating curd/yogurt as it is, in our home we used to have it with rice, mostly curd rice is the way to end our meal. If there would be more curd/yogurt left after the meal, then we sprinkled some sugar on it and had it. I got introduced to all those fruit flavored yogurt when we were in US especially from the hotel breakfast. When i was new in the foreign land, apart  from the cereal & bread, the fruit flavored yogurt was my savior in the hotel breakfast menu especially when we travel and stayed in hotel. It was yummy and really liked them a lot. So after that i used to make flavored curd at home, but instead of adding awful lot of sugar like the commercial ones, i would make them without sugar like Indian Raita recipes., the natural sugar in the fruits in just enough for us. Similar to this pomegranate raita/curd, strawberry , raspberry raita can also be made, that too tastes good. It's definitely a healthy choice for dessert !!! But today, i have served this raita along with our meal. Now let's checkout on how to make this simple yet delicious raita.  

Pomegranate Raita | Pomegranate Curd

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 0 mins | Serves : 1 
Recipe Category: Raita | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Curd, Healthy, Pomegranate Raita, Raita, Fruit Yogurt, Pomegranate Raita, a refreshing and delicious yogurt/curd with pomegranate.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Curd - 1/2 cup
Pomegranate seeds - 1/2 cup
Salt - a pinch.

Procedure

Take the curd in a bowl, add the salt and whisk it smooth without lumps.Take the pomegranate seed, gently mash half of the pomegranate with hand motor & pestle.Add the mashed pomegranate into the curd, mix well and then add the remaining pomegranate as it is.Tasty Pomegranate Raita is ready to serve. 

Notes:

• I have used the juice and seeds from the mashed pomegranate, if you don't like the seeds, you can discard that and add juice alone.
• Adding pinch of salt helps to balance the taste.
• If you want more flavor, you can add a pinch of chat masala or garam masala powder.
  

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Cucumber Khichadi | Vellarikka Thayir Pachadi | Cucumber Raita

Vellarikka Khichadi, a delicious curd based pachadi/accompaniment made from cucumber. Few months back, while browsing through pinterest, i had came across this recipe and thought this was so similar to the ash gourd kootu that we used to prepare often at home, instead of ash gourd here the cucumbers are used, since we are very fond of the ash gourd kootu, without a second thought, the very next day, i had prepared this khichadi along with sambar for lunch , it was so delicious and we liked it a lot. Now it's become the routine dish in my kitchen whenever i had the cucumbers in hand.

And also learnt that this khichadi is famous in kerala and also it's included in sadya menu at onam festival. If you like coconut & curd based side dish for your rice, then definitely give a try, i'm sure that you're amazed by its simplicity and tastes at the same time. Now let's check out how to make this yummy cucumber khichadi.

Vellarikka Thayir Pachadi | Cucumber Raita

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Raita | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Cucumber - 1 
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
To Grind
Coconut -2 tbsp
Green chili - 2
Garlic - 2 pods
Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
To Temper
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Red chili -1 

Procedure

First peel the cucumber, cut them into half vertically and remove the seeds from them, then chop them into small pieces.Beat the curd well without lumps and keep it ready. Heat a kadai with 1/2 cup of water and add the chopped cucumber and let it cook till it's soft.In the mean time, add all the ingredients listed under "To Grind" into mixie jar and grind them into smooth paste. Once the cucumber is well cooked, add the coconut paste and salt.Mix it well and cook till the raw smell leaves, switch off the flame and then add the curd and mix it well.Temper the ingredients listed under "To Temper" and add into the cucumber.Tada, Tasty Cucumber Khichadi is ready to serve.

Notes:

• Adjust the green chili as per your taste, the given quantity is for mild spice.
• Coconut oil gives great flavor to the curry, so highly recommend to use it.
  

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Beetroot Raita | Raita Recipe

Beetroot raita, a delicious and quick to make raita with the grated beetroot and curd.  Other than onion raita I haven't tried or tasted much raita recipe until i started to pack lunchboxes for ST. 

He doesn't like to take onion raita for his lunch box because of its pungent smell, so whenever i made biryani or pulao for his lunch box, i was scratching my head for some raita recipe. 

Then one day, i made this beetroot raita as side dish for vegetable birynai,the combo was instant hit at our home, the mildly sweet beetroot raita goes really well with the spicy biryani. 

Later ST told me that even his colleague liked it so much and few asked him whether he knew how i had prepared it. And also in my instagram account(where i share daily lunch box pictures of ST, if you're interested to know what i cook on day to day basics, follow here.), whenever i had shared the picture of his lunch box with beetroot raita, i got a few request for the recipe.

 Actually this beetroot raita is an easier version of beetroot pachadi recipe which i learnt from my friend a long time ago. Now let's checkout on how to make this delicious aso here goes the recipe.

Beetroot Raita

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Accompaniment | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Beetroot Raita, Easy Raita Recipe, Pink Raita Beetroot raita, a delicious and quick to make raita with the grated beetroot and curd.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Beetroot(grated) - 1/2 cup
Curd - 1/2 cup
Green Chili - 1
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste

Procedure

First grate the beetroot and chop the green chili finely. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard, urad dal and curry leaves, let the mustard crackle.

Then add the grated beetroot, green chili and salt. Saute them till beetroot becomes soft and the raw smell leaves. Switch off the flame and let it cool.

Take the curd in a bowl and add salt, beat it well (remember we already added salt in the beetroot, so add just enough for curd also here), then add the cooked beetroot and mix it well.

Tada, Tasty and healthy Beetroot raita is ready. Serve it with your favorite biryani or pulao. We had it with Mushroom Biryani.

Related : How to make Beetroot Chutney 

Notes:

• Give it a 10- 15 mins standing time before serving the raita.
• The color of the raita intensify as time goes by.
  

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Onion Raita | Vengaya Sambol | Vengaya Thayir Pachadi

Onion Raita/ Vengaya Thayir Pachadi/Vengaya sambal , an easy accompaniment made from curd and onions in minutes. For me, it's the much needed accompaniment when it comes to biryani, pulao or even for chapathi also. In south Tamilnadu or more specify in Tirunelveli District, we used to call this onion raita as "Vengaya sambal' or simply "sambal/sambol(சம்பல்)" till now and i never knew the name "raita" until i was there in chennai for my job. Whenever i say "sambal",my hostel mates,colleagues and some times waiters at the restaurant gave me a weird look and later that i came to know that "sambal" has a new name "Raita" in chennai and in other parts of Tamilnadu. 
Around 2 years back, when i had joined blogging marathon under the theme "condiments from other countries", i searched a lot for that theme and came to realize that sambol was the famous condiments from Srilanka and there are lot of varieties of sambol in their cuisine. May be the name came from their cuisine or vice versa. But that was very really interesting things to know. Ok..Enough with sambol stories, let see today's recipe. 

Onion Raita/Vengaya Sambol

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 0 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Accompaniment | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Onion(small) - 1
Green chili - 1
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - few

Procedure

Cut the onions into thin slices and separate them. Chop the green chilies into small pieces.Take the curd in a bowl, add salt and mix it well till it becomes creamy.Add  the onions & green chilies, mix it well. Let it rest for minimum 30 mins before serving. Add few coriander leaves on top while serving.Tada, Your onion raita is ready.

Notes:

• Use fresh curd for better taste.
• If you're making this for lunch box or later use and you're in hot place, add few tsp of milk into it, it will help to avoid the curd becomes sour too much.
• Atleast rest it for 30 mins before serving.
  

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Cucumber Raita | Vellarikka Thayir pachadi

Cucumber raita is the simple raita,that goes well with any type of pulao or veg biryani or as a condiment for chapathi with kuruma . As my DH is not fond of any type of raita, so usually i make my favorite onion raita for any types of pulao. But after tasting this cucumber raita in restaurants(they usually serve along with chapathi and kuruma), i have quite fond of  this raita and usually make this make while preparing chapathi. But i was hesitant to pair with rice,for a change, today i served this along with veg biryani and it really a super combo. So let's see the procedure now.  

Cucumber Raita

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 5 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Condiment | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Cucumber - 1/2 of one large cucumber
Green Chili - 1
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Cumin Powder - a generous pinch(optional)

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Procedure

Peel the cucumber and cut into small pieces. Similarly chop the chilies.

Beat the curd unitl it's creamy with spoon, add the chopped cucumber,chilies and required salt.

If you wish, add generous pinch cumin powder for extra flavor.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it with your favorite biryani or pulao.

Notes:

• Instead of green chilies, you can add red chili powder as per your required spiciness.
• You can reduce the amount of cucumber and add chopped onions.
• Adjust the amount of curd as per your liking.

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