Sauce for Indian Kebabs

I can't help with the restaurants you've been to, but that is indeed the formula. I like equal amounts of mint and coriander. The raita will be a tad thin. I make it in the food processor, and include a little cumin and salt, and a touch of cayenne pepper. There are many raitas. The version you mention is just one popular variety. I am shocked and not shocked that you have never been served raita....you do live in England, after all Where is Gautam? He can help, I assure you.

You havent been served Raita with Kebabs ??!! <shocked look> Almost all Indian joints I know serve this by default - though the concoctions rustled up by some of them dont even come close to what is called a "raita" !!

Try this at home - it is simple and easy to make..

Cucumber-Tomato Raita

Ingredients

1/2 kg curd, beaten
250 gm cucumber
1 tsp ground mint leaves
2 big tomatoes, sliced
Salt
1 tbsp ground green chilli
1 tbsp black cumin seed, roasted
1 tbsp black pepper powder.

Method:


Peel & wash the cucumber, rub with a little salt, cut it into round (or small as you so desire) pieces, cut the tomato into slices & beat curd.
Now add cucumber & tomato pieces into the curd, add green chilli & mint leaves paste, salt, black pepper powder
Lastly sprinkle roasted cumin seed on it.

Gautam, by 'curd' do you mean paneer, or just plain old cheese curds? Could strained yogurt suffice?

Oops sorry mate - in India we call plain Yogurt as Curd.

Best way is to take a pot of unset yogurt - and whip it up even more after adding just a bit of water to it....

In India we set yogurt in earthen pots - gives that slight taste and smell of mother earth to it !!

Thanks!

i can't imagine an indian meal here without raita. i've been known to go and get an extra dish of it from the kitchen at the New Haandi.

I think I may have misled you here, what I should have said is I have always been served with a sauce accompaniment, which almost without exception is gorgeous, BUT it is nothing like the recipe for "raita" that I described, which to me just tastes of plain yoghurt with cucumber and mint.

Isn't it difficult to describe a taste, or lack of it?

The raita is a side dish, in addition to the sauce specific to the dish.

kev, a good raita is all in the spicing. That's what your orginal post is missing.

O.K. ehbeth, we're getting there, what I want to know then is how to do the sauce that comes with the kebabs other than the raita.

CavSo far so good, I'll try your recipe

Gautam, Ill try your recipe

and anyone else that cares to make a suggestion-keep em coming.

kev, describe the other sauce, and I am certain we can find a recipe for you.

ahhhhhhh

now we are indeed getting somewhere - it's not the raita you're after

could you be more specific about the kebabs - chicken, lamb, beef? colour of the sauce? thickness? any bits in it that you can i.d. or describe?

Indian kebabs???

ehbeth, cav,

The sauce is runny (not like yoghurt) although it seems to be yoghurt based, the colour (depending on restaurant) can be an overall light green or a very light yellow colour, there are no "pieces" of anything in it that are identifiable.

It is served with chicken, or lamb or beef kebabs or any other Indian starters. I wish I could sound less vague.

Every curry house in Britain serves it, it must be the worst kept secret in world history, but in thirty years I've never been able to get close to it.

It is the perfect "foil" to spicy meat, hot spicy meat-cold sauce.

you don't get those in the north indian restaurants near you, margo?

I always identified kebabs as a middle-eastern food. Perhaps I just haven't woken up yet

Well, the light green would be in line with the raita I know. I often omit the cucumber, and the dip is still runny. The yellow one I can only assume is something with curry powder in it. Gautam, I am sure, can help out. It doesn't sound 'authentic' though...curry powder is really not an Indian invention...

Cav, for all I know the "yellow" could just be a pinch of turmeric, I just dunno. Where are you Gautam???????? Talk to me.

G posts from work! I'd guess he's hit the frog and toad!

But...he'll be b-a-a-a-c-c-c-k-k-k!