Raita

Raita, as I make it, is the salsa of Indian cooking. Served with many meals, it partakes in the nature of salad, pickle, and sauce. Raita is good on rice, on savory veggies, and you can make a very simple salad by serving raita over alfalfa sprouts.

1.5C yogurt
2-3C diced veggies
1T roasted cumin
1T roasted coriander
at least 2t salt
pepper to taste

Diced veggies will usually include:

1/2C cucumber
1C tomato
1/2C small diced onion or sliced green onion

To me, these are basic. I may also include:

minced hot chilis
diced sweet pepper
fine chopped thai basil
fine chopped parsley
fine chopped celery leaf

To roast cumin and coriander, just put them in a dry pan over a high flame, tossing constantly, until they become fragrant. Crush them to near powder in a mortar or suribachi.

Mix yogurt, veggies and seasonings. Be sure to use at least 2t salt, but a tablespoon or more to taste is not amiss. The salt pulls moisture from the veggies, speeding the marinade and creating a sort of fresh-veggie-juice-plus-yogurt sauce that is remarkably thick. You'll think it's just yogurt.

Keeps in the fridge for days, probably a week. I don't think it lasts that long for us! After a meal, you'll have less than a quart left to store in the fridge.