Beetroot Raita

Beetroot Raita in a bowl with tadka on top

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5 from 2 votes

A visually striking accompaniment to Indian dishes; this beetroot raita is super delicious.

With an added layer of crunchy tadka, this yogurt based side is sure to become a favorite!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 154kcal

Author: Smruti

Ingredients

2 medium Beetroots cooked or steamed
2 cups Yogurt
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder optional
½ teaspoon Dhania Jeera Powder
½ teaspoon Roasted Jeera Powder

For the Tadka

1 tablespoon Oil
½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
⅛ teaspoon Asafetida
1 ½ teaspoon Urad dal
3 Curry Leaves

Instructions

Cook the beets, peel and grate them. The beets can be steamed or boiled till fork soft.
Take yogurt in a bowl and add the dry spices.
Whisk till smooth.
Add the grated beets and mix well.
In a small pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
Add the cumin seeds, asafetida and urad dal. Let the dal become golden brown.
Add curry leaves and turn down the flame.
Transfer the tadka to the raita and add cilantro.
Mix the betroot raita well and serve with some additional tadka on top (optional).

Video

Notes

Use thick yogurt for a creamy raita. However, using Greek Yogurt needs to thinned out with some water.

Beetroot tends to add a lot of moisture when it mixes with salt and will result in a soggy raita if the yogurt is too thin.

Adding the tadka (tempering) is optional but it adds a lot of flavor to the raita. I like to temper it in oil and not ghee. However, ghee can also be used.

Roasted cumin powder works best for the recipe. Dry roast the cumin seeds and process to a powder for maximum flavor.

Store raita in the refrigerator after making. It does get sour if placed outside for long.

Like most traditional raita recipes, we can also add some crushed mustard seeds in the recipe. That is the true reason why we call it rai-ta (rai meaning mustard seeds).

The raita can be enjoyed as soon as it is made or after a while. The color deepens as the raita stands.

To make the raita Vegan; we can use coconut yogurt in place of regular. It has a thick consistency and makes a great Vegan alternate.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition