Recipe: Spinach Raita
This quick-to-make yogurt salad is delicious and very versatile. Pair it with a warm rice dish or something hot off the grill. In North America yogurt has unfortunately been relegated to the sweet snack or dessert category, and while I do love mixing it with jam, maple syrup or honey, there's so much more that yogurt can do. Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisines have a wealth of savory uses for yogurt that are nothing short of amazing. It was a mind expanding experience for me the first time I mixed raw garlic with lightly salted yogurt and I guarantee once you've tried it you'll never limit yourself to "fruit on the bottom" yogurt cups again.
Here spinach adds a fresh taste of spring and is one of many veggies that can be combined with yogurt in this way. Raita is South Asian in origin and can be either sweet or savory depending on the ingredients. It's a delicious way to cool the tongue when eating a spicy Indian dish, and you may want to add cumin or mint to the raita if you're pairing it this way.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch spinach, washed with stems trimmed off
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
Steps:
1. Lightly wilt spinach in boiling water or steam. Set aside to cool.
2. Drain spinach and squeeze with your hands to remove all excess water. Chop finely.
3. Mix yogurt with garlic, salt and lemon juice.
4. Add spinach and stir until completely mixed. Serve with a hot main dish.
Raita can be made with many different veggies (diced cucumber probably being the most popular), so if you like this dish you can experiment with other versions as the season progresses and more fresh Eva Mae Farm veggies make it to your kitchen counter. Enjoy!