Yogurt 1: Raita

The usual yogurt in our apartment comes in a 1 liter brown glass bottle, thick with rich cream sitting on top of the tart cultured layer. At the BioMarkt the other day, however, I bought a variety of single-serving yogurt pots in anticipation of packing my lunch for class this week. Today's selection is a mild plain organic yogurt from Naturkind, which was a deal at €-.39 for one.

Product review time: I peeled back the lid and was greeted by cream coating the rim and foil, even after shaking before opening. The label proclaims it to have "at least 3,7 percent fat," making this whole (cow's) milk yogurt. The initial taste was indeed mild, probably a good choice for people used to Dannon or Yoplait but who wanted to try it plain. The price was sure right, especially since it is Bio [organic]-certified.

Now, what to make? I had cucumbers left in the fridge, so a light raita for lunch seemed like the plan of the hour. My improvised recipe included

• Half of a container of plain yogurt
• Half of a very large cucumber, mostly peeled, seeded, and diced (after peeling and seeding, soak in ice water for a minute or two to really crisp it up)
  
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt, fresh cracked pepper, and crushed cumin to taste (maybe 1/8 tsp each of the last two, but I like a lot)

I remember buying these dark, heavy cucumbers at two for €1 down by Kottbusser Tor. Either it's cucumber season (but it isn't yet, right?) or I got really lucky. A lot of the time just eat simple slices with some rock salt, but this is a good way to use up a lot if you either need to clear space in the veggie drawer, or want a cucumber-showcasing salad that incorporates just a few common ingredients (and some protein to boot).

Raita is used to accent Indian cuisine, and is similar to the richer tzatziki sauce that accompanies some Greek dishes. However, as I consulted its Wikipedia article, it turns out cucumber isn't even a minor part of authentic raita, as combining cucumber and yogurt could upset the body's balance. Who would have guessed? Not me at any rate, and I still think this version is pretty tasty.

Here are the cucumber pieces (which could have been cut smaller) making friends with a generous scoop of yogurt. I salted and lemon-juiced the dice before adding the other ingredients, but I doubt it makes much difference. The whole thing is very open to interpretation. =o)

To serve, I dug through the pantry and found a package of pappadam just waiting to be toasted up. These stiff, thin rounds are about as thick as cardstock and the size of a salad plate. You can fry them in oil, but I just used a wire spatula to wave one back and forth over a medium-high flame on our gas range. It crinkles and bubbles up (and it will burn-- be careful!), making lovely little crevices just waiting to scoop up daal, raita, or curry.

All in all, this is a light, healthy meal or snack. Let's check the cost:
€-.25 cucumber
€-.20 yogurt
€-.15 pappadam
(and assorted spices)

Wow-- that's about 75 American cents, which means you could easily supplement this with a mango lassi or piece of halawah for dessert without breaking a budget. This time I think I'll pick some up on my way to class-- next time, I'll make it at home to share!