BOONDI RAITA

RECIPE 01

Versatility itself: perfect as an everyday accompaniment, but also a beloved feature of many a feast. Serves: 4−6 Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

100 g masala boondi 1 small red onion, finely chopped 2 cups 3−5% fat plain Greek or Turkish yoghurt ½ cup milk 2 dried red chillies 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp turmeric powder Pinch of asafoetida powder (optional)

METHOD

Soak the boondi in double the quantity of water for half an hour. Lightly squeeze out the excess water and place in a bowl. Add the yoghurt, chopped onion, milk and salt and mix thoroughly. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. When very hot (but not smoking hot) add the mustard seeds. You can test whether the oil is hot enough by adding a couple of seeds – they should pop immediately. When the mustard seeds have started to pop, add the cumin seeds. Turn the heat of the hob down (all of this is best done on a gas hob as the heat level can be changed quickly, but if you have an electric hob just remove the pan from the heat), add the dried red chillies and press down with a wooden spoon to ensure that they fry properly and release their flavour into the oil. Add the turmeric and asafoetida and give the mixture a stir. Now pour this hot oil mixture over the boondi and yoghurt mixture. Serve.