Palak Raita Recipe (Spinach Yogurt Salad)

Palak Raita is a refreshing vitamin, mineral and protein-packed yogurt dip made from fresh spinach and yogurt, tempered with cumin. This is one of my family favourites and we love to serve the Palak Raita, as a salad or along with Parathas or as a side dish along with a main course meal. Course : Side Dish Ingridients : 2 cups Curd (Dahi / Yogurt) 2 cups Spinach Leaves (Palak) , finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon Red Chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera) , roasted 1/2 teaspoon Sugar , optional 1/2 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns , coarsely pounded Salt , to taste Ingredients for Seasoning (Alternative Flavor) 1/2 teaspoon Oil 1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu) 1/2 teaspoon White Urad Dal (Split) 1 sprig Curry leaves Instructions To begin making the Spinach Raita (Pachadi), heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; add the cumin seeds and allow it to crackle. Add chopped spinach and sauté on high heat until tender and most of the water is evaporated. Set aside and allow the spinach to cool completely. Whisk together the yogurt, cumin powder, red chilli powder, black pepper and salt. Fold in the cooled spinach mixture into the whisked yogurt. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.The final step is the make the seasoning, you can use either one of the ingredients in the seasonings mentioned.Heat oil in a tadka pan; add the seasoning ingredients and allow it to roast and crackle. Once it roasts and crackles, turn off the heat.Pour the seasoning onto the Palak Raita serve it with Parathas or as a side dish along with your main course meal.