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Onion Yogurt Salad (Omani Onion Raita)

omani-raitaOmani raita is such a favourite side to round off any meal. It's a simple, fifteen minute recipe that has so many variations and can be spicy or plain, sweet or savoury.

3 cups thick plain yogurt
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 green chilli or serrano pepper, finely chopped
½ tsp. red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Persian cucumbers, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
½ cup cilantro, loosely packed, finely chopped

Whisk together yogurt, salt, cumin powder, green chili and chili powder till smooth. Add all the vegetables and mix well.

Refrigerate for half an hour before serving. You will notice after refrigeration that the veggies will leave a little water. Just give it a quick mix and you are ready to serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

  • Plain yogurt can be easily replaced with Greek yogurt, but since it's thicker, add a little water to dilute it. ¼ cup water for this recipe should be enough.
  • Raitas are usually mildly salted. Feel free to increase the amount of salt, and adjust according to taste.
  • If you are going to serve raita anywhere after two hours, add the coriander just before serving so that you can preserve its fresh flavours.
  • Raita can be made the previous night or in the morning and refrigerated easily for 8-10 hours.