When we had Indian Pork Kebabs the other night, I had a dash of inspiration. I had just been to the store and bought a big container of plain yogurt. I only needed a cup of it as a yogurt starter for homemade yogurt, but the price per ounce was so much better than buying an 8-ounce container.
Some of it I folded into an amazing French Lemon Yogurt Cake. And then I thought: hey, doesn’t Indian food have some sort of yogurt dipping sauce?
That sauce is raita. I believe that it’s usually more savory, combined with vegetables like cucumbers and a healthy sprinkle of mint or cilantro.
I was at T minus 2 hours until guests though, and there was no way I was going back out to the store. A quick Pinterest search revealed a pineapple raita. Aha! Something I had!
Raita is a cooling element to the spice of Indian dishes. It made a wonderful dip for the kebab meat and veggies. And David happily ate it by itself. He is a huge yogurt and pineapple fan. So maybe it can also be a toddler food if you want to introduce Indian spices!
Ingredients
- 1/8 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 1/4 c. plain yogurt
- 1 c. crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions
Spray a small skillet with cooking spray or a tiny bit of oil. Heat over medium for a minute or two. Add mustard seeds and cumin and cook, stirring often, until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat. Crush mustard seeds with the back of a wooden spoon, just until they no longer seem to pop or roll.
Stir together yogurt, mustard seed/cumin mixture, crushed pineapple, and salt. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl. Line the strainer with cheesecloth or a few coffee filters. Spoon raita into the lined strainer and refrigerate. Let sit 1-2 hours to drain off some whey and pineapple juice.
[The straining is optional, but it does help with consistency.]
When you’re ready to serve, spoon into a small bowl and sprinkle with a few pinches of cayenne pepper. You could also add some freshly chopped cilantro if you wish.
Serve with some spicy Indian food … or just eat it with a spoon.
We’re going to have a lot of recipes and a book review this week on VW. I polled my Twitter followers, Facebook fans, and regular FB friends and everyone said go ahead! Post five recipes! We love you so much, Jessie! Well, I may have added that last part. But it was something along those lines. So stay tuned to see recipes for Jalapeno Creamed Corn, French Lemon Yogurt Cake, more pork, and a seafood casserole that will get your tongue wagging.
Here’s to a great week!
I think I would eat this just on its own too! Looks fantastic.
That does sound good with spicy meat.