RecipenKitchen

Recipe

Mint Raita

12 min · Serves 4 · Pakistani

Why make it

A cooling, pale green yogurt side with fresh mint, roasted cumin and a little green chilli. Serve it beside biryani, pulao or grilled meat to calm the heat.

Serves 4

You’ll need

  • 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt, chilled
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, washed
  • 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 green chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated (optional)
  • ½ tsp salt, or to taste
  • ¼ tsp black salt (kala namak)

+ 3 more in the full recipe
1

Step 1 of 6

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan, until they smell nutty and darken slightly. Tip them onto a plate to cool.
2

Step 2 of 6

Crush the cooled cumin coarsely in a mortar or spice grinder. Set aside about a quarter for garnish.
3

Step 3 of 6

Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl and whisk for a minute until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Stir in the cold water or milk to reach a thick pourable texture.
4

Step 4 of 6

Finely chop about three-quarters of the mint. Blend or pound the rest with the green chilli and garlic (if using) and 1 tablespoon of the yogurt into a bright green paste.
5

Step 5 of 6

Stir the chopped mint, mint paste, coriander, most of the crushed cumin, salt, black salt and lemon juice into the yogurt until evenly green.

The last step is in the full recipe.

Cook’s tip

Use thick, fresh yogurt. If it is watery, hang it in a clean muslin cloth for 20 minutes first.

Ready to cook?

Mint Raita

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 Get the full recipe