Tzatziki, Indian Style. Lauki-ka-Raita

The title isn't misleading at all. If, being of Indian origin,  you've ever liked Tzatziki; that's probably because your tastebuds are so very attuned to the dahi concoctions with various members of the Cucurbitaceae family. I've yet to find a fellow-Indian who said they didnt like Tzatziki. At the middle- eastern places that I eat at , my favorite game is to guess if their Tzatziki leans more towards tasting like our kheera-ka-raita; or lauki-ka-raita!

A raita basically refers to savory, spiced yogurt (dahi) in our culture. And if you add any fruit/vegetable to it, it becomes a raita.  A must at almost any meal, dahi becomes a raita at special occasions or for guests; sometimes even if we want a change of taste from plain old dahi.  Unlike here in the US, sweetened yogurt is not on menu on an everyday basis. I got dahi-cheeni (yogurt with sugar) as a kid only if I'd been exceptionally good some day. Or one spoonful when heading out for exams or interviews (sweetened yogurt is considered auspicious in most parts of Northern India, and believed to bring good luck).  Fruit-flavored yogurt was pretty much non-existent during my time in India, and till today, I haven't developed much of a liking for it. 

Now raita, .....that's another story. I could eat bowlfuls of it at any given time. And even make a full meal out of it. In fact, this lauki-ka-raita was our dinner this past Monday, when both A and I fasted on the day of MahaShivratri.

Lauki-ka-raita

(Spiced yogurt with bottle gourd)

To make lauki-ka- raita, you will need:

Dahi/ Plain Yougurt
A little milk or water to thin it out
Lauki/ Bottle gourd About 1/2 cup, finely grated

Spices (to taste):
Salt
Black pepper/ paprika
Roasted cumin seeds coarsely crushed
Dry mint leaves

1. The first step is to blanch the grated lauki in boiling water for about 5 min.  Drain through a fine sieve, squeeze out as much water as possible and cool. I save the water that drains out, and use it as a stock in any dals or rice that I'm making.
2. Blend in the dahi with some water so there are no lumps; and then mix in the salt and pepper.  The final consistency I like is fairly runny...almost like milk.
3. Fold in the  cooled, blanched lauki, sprinkle roasted cumin and mint, and chill for at least 30 min.

My two cents: I actually have none.  A raita is a very versatile side, and there are innumerable variations to make with it. The more popular ones are (mix-and match according to preference):


Add-ins (finely chopped):
Onions
Tomato
Boiled potato
Blanched Carrot
Beet
Blanched Spinach/ Bathua (pigweed)

Garnishes:
Crushed peanuts
Green chillies
Ginger
Crushed mustard seeds
Cilantro

Then of course there are nuts and fruit raitas that are becoming increasingly popular. I've forgotten my high school Maths, but I'm sure it all adds up to about a zillion permutations and combinations of mouth-watering raitas.

Another raita I made is featured here.