Hyderabadi yoghurt relish (Churri)

Raita is the perfect foil for biryani. The rice is rich and greasy, the spices can be bold, and the dish is hot. Raita is the complete contrast, cold or room temperature, mild or even sweet, cooling and opening to the palate.

The only requirement for a raita is yoghurt; it can contain almost anything else: vegetables, fresh or fried, fried lentils or lentil products, fruit, and, of course, lots of spices and herbs. They are usually simple to make, and an Indian table is almost lost without it sitting next to the plate of pulao or biryani.

The raita class of dishes is omnipresent across India, but is known by different names:

1. Raita comes from North and central India,

2. Pachadi from South India

3. Perugu pachadi from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

4. Mosaru bajji, Thambli, or sasive from Karnataka

5. Kosambir from West Indian

6. Dahiki from Odisha and West Bengal

   
   

This is a simple and lovely raita from Andhra Pradesh and the Nizam's cooking. The yoghurt base is creamy and spiced with onions and herbs. Mild yet satisfying, it pairs well with the wide variety of biryanis from Hyderabad.

Pratibha Karan started her career as an IAS officer and later transitioned to authoring cookbooks. She has published a couple of cookbooks, and her work as Secretary at the Ministry of Food Processing has prepared her for this new role. This cookbook is her opus on Nawabi Hyderabadi cuisine. She brings to your table the distinct dishes of the era and culture. From the classic Dum ka biryani to the lesser-known dishes she has revived, this book features recipes that shine on the table.

For more recipes from this book, click here.

Ingredients:

2 cups yoghurt

1 small onion, finely diced

1/2 cup mint, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, minced

2-3 green chillies, minced, or to taste

Salt, to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. Allow the flavours to come togehter for at least one hour in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.