Serving meal is an art that can make your dishes appetizing and more appealing or just make it regretted. Raita and salads are the essential part of daily meals. It enhance the taste of food and make add more colors in your Servings. In Pakistan, there are so many different type of raitas and Salad, which can be found in almost every hotels and restaurants menu. Most common raitas are Pudina raita, Zeera raita, Dhaniya raita, Cucumber raita, Masala raita and so on.

Basic purpose of adding raita in meal, is balancing the nutrition of meal. Yogurt which is the main ingredient of raita is used to reduce the hotness level of food. Some people can’t eat rich spicy food because of their sensitive digestive system. Raita is used to level the hotness of chilies that produce a burning sensation in stomach, on the skin and mucous membranes, including the inside of the mouth.

Here are the Recipes of Raitas:

Zeera Raita:

Zeera raita is used with much spicy food s there is nothing in it except of cumin seeds. Mostly it is served with Punjabi and Sindhi foods like Biryanies, Tehri, Raosted meat & Broast, Stakes etc.

Ingredients for Zeera Raita:

Yogurt – 125 gm
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Salt – according to taste

Method of making Zeera Raita:

1. Take a fry pan and heat up it. Put cumin seeds in it and roast for a while on a very low flame. Crushed it with the help of  spoon or roller.
2. Take a bowl and pure the yogurt in it. Add salt and blend to make it smooth with a beater.
3. Add crushed cumin seeds in it and blend it.
4. Fresh Zeera raita is ready to serve.

Podina Raita:

Podina raita has a cooling effect in meal. it is served with spicy food like Pulao, Tikka & kababs and samosas.

Ingredients for Podina Raita:

Yogurt – 125 gm
Mint Leaves – 1/8 cup
Green Chilies (medium) – 2
Salt – according to taste

Method of making Podina Raita:

1. Make a paste of mint leaves and chilies.
2. Take a bowl and pure the yogurt in it. Add salt and blend to make it smooth with a beater.
3. Add paste of mint and chilies in it and blend it.
4. Fresh Podina raita is ready to serve.

Masala Raita:

Masala raita is used to make food a little spicy. It is served with Pulao, Seekh Kababs and samosas.

Ingredients for Masala Raita:

Yogurt – 125 gm
Chaat Masala – 1 tsp / according to taste
Salt – according to taste

Method of making Masala Raita:

1. Blend yogurt in a bowl with salt and chaat masala until it become smooth.
2. Fresh Masala raita is ready to serve.

Cucumber Raita:

Cucumber raita is used to balance the hot sensation of food. it is served with extra spicy food like Biryanies, Tikka & Roasts, Korma/Qorma and Bhunna ghost etc.

Ingredients for Cucumber Raita:

Yogurt – 125 gm
Cucumbers (Medium)- 2 (fine chopped)
Roasted cumin seeds powder – 1/6 tsp
Salt – according to taste

Method of making Cucumber Raita:

1. Take a bowl and pure the yogurt in it. Add salt and cumin seeds powder, blend to make it smooth with a beater.
2. Add chopped cucumber and mix it.
3. Fresh Cucumber raita is ready to serve.

Salad Raita:

Salad raita can be served with all type of dishes like Biryanies, Korma/Qorma and Bhunna ghost etc.

Ingredients for Salad Raita:

Yogurt – 125 gm
Cucumbers (Small) – 1
Tomato (Small) – 1
Onion (Small) – 1
Capsicum (small) – 1/2
Roasted cumin seeds powder – 1/6 tsp
Salt – according to taste

Method of making Salad Raita:

1. Chop onion and put it for 5-10 mins in water. Chop all other veges too.
2. Take a bowl and pure the yogurt in it. Add salt and cumin seeds powder, blend to make it smooth with a beater.
3. Drain off water of onion and add all chopped veges in yogurt bowl.
4. Fresh Salad Raita is ready to serve.

P.S: Dhaniya raita is same as Podina Raita. Use Coriander leaves except of Mint leaves in it.