A lot of us are always confused with its name and not sure whether to call is a raita or a chutney because you see it being served with kebabs and tikkas like a chutney. But it has all the features of a raita. The popular tikkas and Kebabs served in Indian restaurants are always accompanied with this delicious mint raita chutney. I have never come across an Indian restaurant serving this with Biryani but is always there on a buffet. We do enjoy it at home with everything from Biryani, Kebabs, Tikkis, Tikka and even with other rice dishes like pilaf or turmeric rice. In this post I have 2 recipes for you. One is for the mint raita that goes well with biryani, pulao and rice dishes. The second one is the pudina dahi chutney (kebab chutney) that is served in restaurants. Serve this with any kind of snacks & appetizers. It goes well with just anything – right from pakoras, samosas, sandwiches to tandoori kebabs.
How to make Mint Raita (Stepwise Photos)
- This recipe requires dry roasted cumin powder. You can make a batch of the powder following this Cumin powder recipe or make a quick powder from my instructions below. On a medium heat, dry roast half teaspoon cumin seeds in a pan until aromatic & deep golden but not burnt. Cool and powder it in a small grinder.
- Rinse ¾ cup mint leaves/pudina and ¼ cup coriander leaves (optional) in surplus water at least thrice. Drain off the water. Add the leaves to the grinder along with 1 to 2 green chili (or serrano peppers), ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and one tbsp. of yogurt. We add yogurt to help in grinding. If you want you can also add a small garlic clove (peeled).
- Grind to a super smooth consistency. Pour 1¼ cup yogurt to a bowl and whisk well until it is smooth. Add the mint puree to yogurt. Whisk everything together. Taste test and add more salt if required. If you want you may add 1 teaspoon lemon juice or half teaspoon chaat masala. It is optional to use them. We prefer to stir in a few tablespoons of peeled & chopped cucumbers or onions. This goes well with biryani. Serve with any flavored rice like Veg biryani,Mushroom biryani,Chicken biryaniHyderabadi chicken biryani
Raita Chutney for Kababs
Ingredients
1 cup thick fresh curd / dahi 2 to 3 deseeded green chili 1 cup loosely measured fresh pudina / mint leaves ¼ cup coriander leaves (optional) 2 tsps chopped onion (optional) 1 small garlic clove ¼ tsp grated ginger (optional) ½ tsp roasted and powdered cumin/ jeera ½ tsp. sugar salt as needed
Method
- Wash pudina and coriander in enough water. Drain them to a colander completely. 2. Dry roast jeera and cool it. Powder it in a blender jar. You can also use roasted powder and skip this step. 3. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of curd, coriander, mint, salt, sugar, ginger, garlic and green chili to the blender jar. 4. Blend them all well until smooth. Add it to curd. Stir well. Serve with kababs or Indian snacks.
Recipe Card
