Dahi ka Kachummar

Share

if you make tikkas/ keema/ tandoori chicken, usually there are two accompaniments - green coriander chutney, and dahi ka kachummar...

kachummar is essentially a salad that has been mixed very well with hands to get some juices out.

this one is similar to raita but thicker and more flavorful.

ingredients:


200 gms yoghurt
200 grams red onions cut into thin rings
1 cucumber diced fine
1 tomato diced fine
a bunch of coriander and mint
1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon anaar-daana powder (pomgranate seeds, dried and crushed)
salt as per taste

add all the ingredients together and mix really well, don't shy away from crushing it a bit.

serve with fresh pomegranate seeds as garnish if available :)

Raita

Share


There'd be heaps of Indians who laugh at this post because making Raita in India is like being able to boil eggs, pretty much everyone knows how to make raita. Still, it might be a little mysterious for rest of you, in terms of how do you get the mild refreshing aroma, what can i put in it, how thick should it be, etc...

here i have a few recipes of raita for you all.

1. Boondi raita: You can get "boondi" from any decent indian grocery store. You can also make it yourself. Just google boondi recipe on youtube. It looks like this - 

Ingredients:

500ml european style yoghurt

1/4 (or even lesser) teaspoon red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mint sauce OR (a handful of finely chopped mint + 1 teaspoon sugar)

handful of chopped coriander

OPTIONAL but yummmmm - some pomegranate seeds

Process: mix all ingredients together - yes, that IS the whole recipe. 

---------------------------------------

2. Vegetable raita:

The vegetables replace the boondi in the first version. The veggies should be chopped fine. You can use one or more of the following in order of preference:

a. Cucumber

b. Onion

c. Carrot

d. Tomatoes (firm)

e. Cabbage shredded

f.  Zucchini

g. pineapple (it's not a veggie - big deal!)

h. green mango (just a little bit gives a tangy taste)

Vegetables that should never be used for raita are:

a. Potatoes

b. Eggplants

c. Okra :D (although bhindi ki sabzi when mixed with yoghurt is DIVINE!)

recipe for marathi kadi / marathi kadhi

my wife, gunjan, is extremely fond of marathi or maharashtrian kadi. The recipe is quite simple. Here it goes:

Ingredients
Yoghurt - one bowl
Gramflour - one heaped tablespoon
salt - to taste
sugar - 1 heaped tablespoon
green chilli - 3/4
ginger 1 finger sized (my finger :D)
mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
curry leaves about 15-20
oil 3 tablespoon
water 1.5ltr

crush the ginger and chilli

mix the yoghurt and gramflour and whisk together gently (you don't want butter to come out of the yoghurt now, do you!?) till no lumps, to which add sugar, salt, and water. mix well till uniform and add crushed ginger and chilli.

heat oil on high in a deap saucepan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. after 5-10 seconds, add the yoghurt mix and keep stirring till the boil comes. boil for another 5 mins on high heat, stirring regularly, and then turn heat to mid (4 to 5 o'clock) and stir intermittently for 20 mins. Done :)

Hope you enjoy this :p

cheers
gaurav