Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita)

Well how to put this, umm... I wanted to try something new for dinner and I thought Kababs with Tzatziki Sauce will taste great. However, Debarshi was in no mood to try something new so I decided to give the Tzatziki Sauce Indian flavors. I did the same with the Kababs and voila! Delicious dinner ready in an hour! and this includes the preparation and cooking time.

What is Tzatziki Sauce?

Tzatziki is a greek dip prepared with cucumber and yogurt. Along with these two ingredients, it also uses lemon juice, garlic and fresh dill. It is usually served with chicken and fish, grilled/ raw vegetables, pita bread/ chips, crackers and gyro. 

What is Raita?

Raita is a condiment spiced with Indian spices like Chaat Masala, Cumin Powder etc. It is served as a dip with Parathas and main course. Because of the wide use of spices in Indian cuisine certain dishes are quite hot on the palate. Raita contains yogurt which helps to cool down the heat. It can be prepared with almost anything! In fact, one of my all time favorite brunch is Alu Paratha with Boondi Raita. My mom often prepares Cucumber/ Alu Raita at home and even now whenever I visit her, she prepares it especially for me. 

Similarities between Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce:

• Both Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce use cucumber and yogurt along with a few ingredients (like Black Pepper) which add and elevate the flavors. 
• Herbs like mint and cilantro are also sometimes added in Raita. Tzatziki Sauce uses Dill but I have seen Mint and Parsley also being used in many recipes. 
• Both Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce take very less time to prepare and hence can be added at the very last minute to your menu. 
• Both of these go very well with spiced/ toasted/ grilled foods and can be served as either a dip or a condiment.

Differences between Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce:

• Raita is usually spiced with Cumin and Chaat masala. Tzatziki Sauce on the other hand uses Garlic and Lemon Juice. 
• Some people like adding a slight hint of sweetness in Raita with sugar or honey which makes it perfectly delicate, cool and creamy to go with spicy foods. Tzatziki Sauce does not have any added sweetness. 
• Tzatziki sauce uses greek yogurt whereas Raita is a little thinner in consistency and is prepared with plain yogurt and a little water. 
• Tzatziki also uses lemon juice making it tangier than raita. Raita recipes use Amchur and Chaat Masala but not lemon juice.

In our home, Debarshi is not too fond of yogurt but I just love it! If I can, I would prepare fresh raita everyday. It is just the sort of cool and creamy dip that goes great with everything. Now this sauce/ raita may be easy and quick to prepare but its flavors will blow you away. So, give it a try and post in the comments!

Ingredients:

• Plain Greek Yogurt - 1 cup, 
• Cucumber – ½ cup, peeled and deseeded, finely diced
• Garlic - 2 cloves, grated
• Fennel Seeds - 1 tablespoon 
• Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed 
• Chaat Masala – ½ teaspoon
• Black Pepper - ¼ teaspoon, freshly ground
• Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons 

Directions:

• Take a bowl and whisk the yogurt with the Chaat Masala, Fennel Seeds and Black Pepper.
• Add the Garlic and Cucumber. Mix to combine.
• Stir in the Lemon Juice. Combine thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate for an hour so that the flavors develop.
• When ready to serve, stir the Tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with Olive Oil. 
• Serve with warm pita bread and your favorite vegetables and enjoy!

Serve this Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita) with:

• Mughlai Kabab
• Tandoori Chicken
• Chicken Nutrela Kabab
• Chicken Alu Cutlets (Crispy Chicken and Potato Patties)

Other Chutneys, Condiments and Dips you may like:

• Dhania Chutney (Cilantro Chutney)
• Tamarind Chutney – sweetness with tang
• Boondi Raita
• Plum Chutney
• Spinach Dip

Before we move on to the travel part, I would like to thank everyone for showing interest in my travels and requesting information. Today I am going to take you to a place which is almost like stepping into a luxurious dream, in a different era. You don’t have to be Julius Caesar to experience this, just take a stroll inside the hotel - Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Make sure to enter from the Forum shops entrance otherwise by the time you will finish exploring the main hotel and casino, you will be too tired to go to the extension shopping wing. Keep in mind that this is known as the ‘Shopping wonder of the world’ and features specialty and designer stores, fine restaurants and attractions.

The mall has spiral staircase with a touch of today – spiral escalators. 

Here we are at the Fountain of the Gods. To tell you the truth, for me the main attraction of the forum shops was not the shops but the fountains and the artificial ceiling. 

After you have finished exploring the forum shops, it is time to move towards the hotel. You will come to a hallway between the casino and forum shops.

Keep walking a little further and you will see Cleopatra’s Barge.

This is a live music venue and bar. If you want to feel like one of the royal families during Julius Caesar’s time, then this is the place for you. This luxurious floating barge is colored in red and gold and is the exact copy of the boat which was used to transport royalty on the Nile river.

I think Caesars palace is one of those places which will fill you with awe and wonder. Do take your time to explore the hotel and forum shops. I will be back with more travel info in my next article.

Namkeen Puri (Deep Fried Savory Puffed Bread)

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Recipe Courtesy: Mamma

A couple weeks back Debarshi and I started discussing about having a get together party at our home. We wanted to spend an evening with fun and food. This time we decided to include in our vegetarian menu Bhindi Kalonji and Boondi Raita with a Namkeen Puri. I took this Puri recipe from my mom and it turned out great. Not too loaded with spices or oil, just perfect to go with the vegetarian dishes. It also tasted amazing with the Amritsari Chole. 

If you are wondering what’s so special about them, then let me tell you that these Namkeen Puris are very different than our normal Luchi because of the spices added in the dough. Carom seeds, Cumin and Asafoetida give the Puris a unique taste and flavor. They are not as flaky and loaded with spices as the Masala Kachoris and they go very well with any vegetarian dish. You can also enjoy these with a cup of tea or give to your kids as a quick snack.

The best part is the dough, which you can kneed before hand and keep in the fridge in an airtight container. Whenever you want to serve the Puris, bring the dough to the room temperature, then roll and fry them. If you have guests coming over, you can even fry the Puris before hand and keep them in the oven at the lowest temperature. Believe me they will stay warm and crisp inside.

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 2 cups 
• Whole Wheat Flour - ½ cup
• Oil - 4 tablespoons + about 2- 3 cups for frying
• Lukewarm Water – about 5 - 6 tablespoons
• Carom Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon 
• Asafoetida - ¼ teaspoon
• Baking Soda - ¼ teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Others:

• Wok
• Spider Spoon

Directions for Kneading the Dough:

• In a large bowl sift together the All Purpose Flour and Whole Wheat Flour.
• Add the Carom Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida, Baking Soda and Salt in it. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Now add the Oil. Mix with your fingers or if you are using the stand mixer (attach the hook), give a few runs.
• Run the mixer on the lowest speed. Add water, a little at a time and knead into a dough. You may need a few extra tablespoons of water if the dough feels tough. We don’t want a soft sticky dough so do not add a lot of water. Keep kneading it for another minute or two. If the sides are sticking with the bowl too much, switch off the mixer and clean the sides using a spatula.
• The dough may turn out a bit stickier. If it does, just add a little flour and keep it kneading until it’s smooth and almost non sticky. 
• Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. 

Tip: You can also refrigerate the dough in a zip lock bag or air tight container. Bring it to room temperature then roll and fry the Puris.

Directions to roll and fry the Puris:

• Once the dough has rested, start dividing it in portions to make the Puris. I make small Puris so I divide the dough in 18-20 pieces. You can choose to make small or medium sized Puris. 
• Take a piece of dough between your palms and roll it into a ball. Press the ball between your palms lightly to flatten it a little like a disc. Put all the other balls of dough back in the bowl and cover it. This will prevent the dough from drying out.
• Roll the Puri, normally you will not need any flour or oil because the dough has moen (oil) in it. However, if you find it difficult, use a little all purpose flour.
• Place the disc on the rolling board or on your kitchen counter and start rolling it. It should be small and round and not too thick. A little unevenness in shape is ok. 
• Heat oil in a wok over medium- medium high heat and while this is happening, you may want to roll a few more Puris before starting the first batch. It is just easier to roll and fry a couple of Puris consecutively. Just make sure you are not putting the rolled out Puris on top of each other. Keep them on a cookie sheet or a big platter in a single layer.
• Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small ball of dough into the oil. If there isn’t any bubbling, then the oil isn’t ready. If it’s furiously bubbling and there is smoke, that’s too hot. If the temperature is perfect, the dough ball will take a dip and immediately float to the surface of the oil and start changing color.
• At this perfect temperature, add one Puri at a time and fry by gently pressing it down with the frying spoon at different places.
• Turn over when puffed up (or after a couple of seconds) and fry the Puri till golden red.
• Transfer the fried Puri on a paper towel or napkin to absorb the excess oil.
• Serve the Puri hot with Bhindi Kalongi, Boondi Raita, Amritsari Chole or eat it with a cup of hot tea.

Tips:

• Switch on the exhaust fan.
• I find it ok to multi task for this recipe but if at any point you find it overwhelming just do one step at a time.
• The perfect frying temperature is very important for making perfect Puris. If you are not able to fry a puffy Puri, it maybe due to the oil temperature. So, try to maintain it evenly. Do not over crowd the wok by dropping too many Puris at the same time. Remember, preparing deep fried bread is a difficult task which needs patience and experience.
• Even if your Puris do not puff up, they will still taste great so do not throw them out.
• Make sure not to use a lot of flour while rolling the Puris, this will leave a lot of burnt flour in the oil and you will not be able to re-use this oil for the next batches.
• I usually line a Colander with two paper towels and keep the fried Puris in it. The holes of the Colander allow the steam of the hot Puris to pass through thus maintaining the crispiness.
• Finally, as I said earlier do not pile the rolled out Puris on top of each other as the uncooked flour will stick together. Keep them in a single layer.

Recommended reading:

• How to Deep-Fry food with Confidence?
• Colander (Kitchen essentials: Utensils which come handy)
• Excited to use new spices? Know more about Hing (Asafoetida)
• Masala Kachori (Indian Puffed Bread with Spices)
• How to check if the oil is hot enough to fry
• Alur Dom (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with gravy)
• Bhindi Kalonji – Okra with Indian spices
• Know more about Joan (Ajwain or Carom Seeds)
• Indian Salad
• Palak Paneer (Fresh Cheese in Spinach gravy)
• How to reuse the leftover dough
• Luchi – Deep Fried Puffed Bread
• Boondi raita
• Amritsari Chole (Delicious Chick Pea gravy with Fresh Cheese)
• Top 10 Spices to keep in your kitchen
• Bhature (Deep Fried Puffed Bread)
• Niramish Alur Dom (Potato Gravy Without Onion and Garlic)
• Alu Kulcha (Indian Flat Bread with Potato Filling)
• Bhindi Pyaz (Okra and Onion stir-fry)
• Achari Kaddu (Spiced stir-fried Pumpkin)
• Bhindi Masala (Okra with Indian Spices)
• Allahabadi Chatpata Alu (Spicy Tangy Potato Gravy of my Hometown)
• Masala Alu (Spiced Potatoes)
• Shadi wala Masala Gobhi (Spiced Cauliflower with Potatoes as served in North Indian Weddings)
• Station wala Lehsunia Alu (Indian Railway special Garlic Potato Stir-fry)
• Koraishuti’r Kochuri (Deep Fried Puffed Bread with Pea Filling)
• Palak Kachori (Deep Fried Bread kneaded with Spinach and spices)

Boondi Raita

Boondi raita is one of my favorite condiments. Whenever I am preparing Kachoris with Kaddu Sabji I have to prepare this yummy raita but before I jump on to the recipe, let me tell you what Boondi and Raita means:

What is Boondi?

Boond means a single water droplet. Boondi is prepared with a batter of Besan (Gram Flour) and spices. Once the batter is ready, we hold a perforated spoon (a round spoon with multiple round holes) 3-4 inches above the oil and drop the batter on it slowly and steadily. The batter drops from those small round holes into the hot oil and immediately form a round shape, of the size of water droplets. They are then fried till golden and removed from the oil. I know the process seems quite easy, however you will be surprised to know that I have never attempted this myself. I always buy readymade Boondi from my local Indian store. It’s convenient and since we use only a small amount of Boondi for the raita, it lasts for several months. 

Photo shows a Perforated spoon

Photo shows a type of Boondi packet found in the Indian stores

What is Raita?

Raita is a yogurt based condiment served usually with lunch or dinner. In Northern India, Raita is often prepared with vegetables which can be raw (cucumber, onion, tomato) or cooked (Alu raita, prepared by boiling the potatoes first). Besides serving as an accompaniment to the main course, just like the Indian salad, a raita is quite a dish in itself and can be paired with fried breads (Kachoris) or rice dishes (Biryanis) for an added flavor. Now you can easily find a readymade raita masala in the Indian store and it tastes pretty good, however, you will see that this raita uses only a handful of ingredients which you can easily find in your pantry. I will therefore recommend not to spend money on the readymade masala.

Why Boondi Raita?

Boondi raita is my favorite because it is quick to prepare and delicious to eat. You don’t have to chop vegetables (cucumber, onion, tomato) or boil potatoes to prepare this raita and hence it can be prepared at the very last minute. I specially prepare it for our get together parties because it tastes great with everything. Also the yogurt works miracles for your digestion. Although I personally like a hot version of this raita, you can always skip the red chili so that the yogurt can immediately cool your taste buds and cleanse your palate for another bite. I never have any yogurt sitting in my fridge because I always find a way to use it. 

I love the crunchiness of Boondi and hence I always add it right before serving so that they retain their crunch. However, if you want, you can mix them a bit early so that they soak up the yogurt. Keep it refrigerated till you are ready to serve. Now, without further ado let’s move on to the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Boondi – ½ cup, plain salted 

• Yogurt - 1 cup, plain nonfat
• Water – ½ cup
• Chaat Masala - ½ teaspoon 
• Fennel Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Cumin Powder – ½ teaspoon 
• Red Chili Powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Black Pepper Powder – ¼ teaspoon 
• Black Salt – to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)

Directions:

• Take a medium size bowl and add the Yogurt in it.
• Add all the spices (Chaat Masala, Fennel Powder, Cumin Powder, Red Chili Powder, 
• Black Pepper Powder and Black Salt) along with the water and whisk to mix everything together well. 
• Add the Boondi, mix, cover and refrigerate till ready to serve or just cover and refrigerate the yogurt and mix the Boondi right before serving.

Tips: 

• Use the Nutri bullet (milling blade) to make the Fennel and Black Pepper powder.
• Use Roasted Cumin Powder for a more gourmet flavor. Refer to my article: Make Cumin Powder at Home

Recommended Reading:

• Kadhi (Gram Flour Fritters in Yogurt Sauce)
• Indian Salad
• Make Cumin Powder at Home
• Namkeen Puri (Deep Fried Savory Puffed Bread)
• Methi Saag Paratha (Fenugreek leaves fried Flat Breads)
• Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita)