Pineapple lends a twist to raita.
I’m often asked about my go-to orders when I eat at an Indian restaurant.
While I flip back and forth between my choice of appetizers and entrees, I will always ask for the raita on the menu. In the southern Indian states, raita goes by the name “pachadi,” but across India, yogurt is usually treated as more of a savory condiment rather than a dessert, though there are a few sweets like srikhand and mishit-doi that are made with it.
Yogurt plays a special role in Indian cooking. It’s considered to have natural cooling properties, which helps to take the heat off and calm the body when eating hot and spicy foods, and it aids with digestion. Plus, yogurt is naturally acidic and this acidity (along with the milk and whey proteins) helps to tenderize meat, which is why a lot of Indian recipes, such as tandoori chicken and biryani, require the meat to be marinated in yogurt overnight.
It’s also true that plain yogurt is regularly served in many Indian homes as a side with food, but raitas are equally popular and they come in various combinations and colors.
Raita is easy to make. Plain yogurt is diluted with cold water to achieve a consistency that’s neither too thick nor too thin and will be similar to that of a thin custard. The diluted yogurt is then seasoned with a little salt and pepper before vegetables, fruits or herbs are folded into it.
This savory pineapple raita version is based on one that I’ve eaten in India but have rarely seen in the United States. In this recipe, the pineapple is first grilled and caramelized, then folded into the yogurt along with a serrano pepper, and finally finished off with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and toasted cumin. And while you can serve this with Indian food, this is also a wonderful accompaniment to barbecued meat and grilled vegetables, and it goes well with flatbread and rice.