Cucumber-Yogurt Raita

There are many variations of this raita, which is a cool cucumber-yogurt mixture often served with Indian food to cut the heat of the spicy dishes.  This is the original recipe I received from a friend whose husband is Mid-Eastern and it uses only cucumbers, garlic, mint, yogurt and salt. But I have seen several other versions that omit the salt and add cumin.  So feel free to use this as a template to adjust to your desired palate and Pzazz factor!   

In addition to serving this with foods such as the red lentil dal recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago, I like to put this sauce on a smashed baked potato.  In fact, that's what I ate for breakfast this morning along with my scrambled egg whites.  Yum!  More Pzazz!

mint leaves and garlic clove

Ingredients:
1 large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely grated (about 1 cup grated)
1 clove garlic, mashed
4-6 fresh mint leaves, chopped (sometimes I add even more than this)
2 cups low-fat yogurt
(I used goat yogurt, but any type of yogurt could be used.)
1/2 teaspoon salt

grated cucumber

Preparation:

Put the grated cucumber in strainer and let it drain, then squeeze it dry a bit.  Mix together the yogurt, garlic, mint and salt. Add the drained cucumber, then puree all ingredients to desired consistency.  A regular blender works just fine for this puree.  Refrigerate for a few hours to meld the flavors well. 


Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 6
Serving Size:1/2 cup
Calories: 58
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg                                                        
Sodium: 253  mg
Total Carbs: 7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 11 g