I love yoghurt and curd in any form. I try to include at least one helping of curd in one of my meals. It is during this quest of mine that I came across a lovely beetroot raita recipe.If not curd I definitely have buttermilk which is a great source of probiotics. I first came to know about and actually tasted buttermilk (chaach in hindi) when I was living in Rajasthan for my job. Frankly speaking I did not like it too much then and used to stay away from it.
But there was one incident after which I started loving this magical drink. I am a geologist by profession and was out on a field trip to a small remote village to the south of Jaipur. The best thing about the field trips in Rajasthan was the villagers there truly believe in the culture of “Padharo marho desh” i.e welcome to my land. They are so very welcoming that we used to be offered tea in most of the village homes we would cross during our traverses.
Buttermilk and me
It was during one such very hot traverse in the month of September, one kind hearted villager offered us a large bottle filled with a white thin liquid. I thought he was offering us some cow or buffalo milk. But no! My driver informed me that it was “chaach” and it is very good for tackling the extreme heat of Rajasthan. Now I was very sceptical of drinking something whose source I did not know. But my colleague assured me that she has in fact tasted chaach before and it is very good for health. So after her reassurance I tasted it and oh my! It was delicious! It was super fresh and not at all sour or smelly at all. And it was from then that I was hooked on buttermilk.
Now I live in Kolkata and fresh buttermilk is difficult to come across. I make do with the tetra packs from Amul. Unlike buttermilk, curd is something that I have eaten since childhood. During the summer months I have seen my mother make freshly set curd in a special porcelain bowl. Sweet curd or mishit doi as we call it is one of the most widely liked sweet delicacies of Bengali cuisine.
Since I have been trying to eat healthy and clean, the “Healthy” me now often smugly refuses a samosa evening snack at work. Also I have been experimenting with different types of raita and curd based dishes like this http://www.archusblog.com/food-blog-bharatkazaika-day1/ for dinner.
Recently I came across a recipe for beetroot raita on Youtube. That recipe involved tempering the curd with spices but I decided to customise the recipe according to my taste. I was never a very big fan of beets but this dish was a winner!
Beetroot Raita recipe
I grated a beetroot and a cucumber. Then I mixed the curd with the grated beetroot and cucumber. Then I added a sprinkling of rock salt, cumin powder and date palm jaggery(nolen gur according to taste). I garnished the raita with a sprig of fresh coriander/cilantro. The raita was deep pink in colour. This was the first time in my life that I ate something so very pink (one of my favourite colours) in colour! And believe me it was as tasty as it was healthy!!😍😍
Ah good idea to add the cucumbers too. I must try this out. I love raithas!
I am not a fan of beetroot either but I do love curd/yogurt. Maybe someday I may try this. Will keep this in mind. Loved your backstory in chaach.
Wow. The colour itself is so beautiful.. I’m also trying to eat healthy these days. Will definitely try it out soon
This looks delicious, love the combination will definitely try it out
Wow this beet root raita looking really healthy and tasty . I will surly make this soon, thanks a lot for sharing easy recipe. and ya, I am also a big fan of buttermilk, especially in summer it taste so good.
The beet raita looks so visually appealing and i am sure it will be a real treat for the taste buds 🙂
Found it too good to resist !
I am definitely going to try this, as raita is my all-time favourite and I am sure adding beetroot will add more yummy taste in it
Beetroot raita looks so scrumptious. It is also very healthy. You can use anything fr raitas..onions, potato, bottle gourd, pineapple, pomegranate, carrot. Keep experimenting and trying out new things. I cannot live without buttermilk.I flavour it nicely though..Moringa powder, fresh coriander and curry leaves. Best way to beat the heat in India is curd and buttermilk and it is best if you make it at home. Cheers Ginia!
This is a very attractive Raita just right for an occasion. It’s good to know that it is healthy too, as rarely is something tasty considered healthy! 😊
Something very new to me, though I am crazy about Raita….but never heard. Or tasted beetroot raita, I will definitely going to give it a try at home.Thanks for sharing.
Wow!! All my favourite ingredients in a unique combo… Should try this… Will it as a dip for hot hot tandoori chicken.. i can imagine the chill of the raita with the hot chickens.. yummy tummy for sure…
This looks tasty and healthy. I also love my bowl of curd daily and with cucumber is my all time favourite. Must try this beautiful looking pink version with beetroot. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
That beautiful and colourful beetroot raita looks so inviting! I am certainly trying this recipe at home.
Loved your rajasthan journey and i am impressed with the picture of the dish it looks so good😊🤗
This is one of the easiest and healthiest recipes I have come across lately. They have all the things I love. Am definitely trying this out