Name: Makhana Raita
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¾ cup Fox Nuts; 1 cup Indian-Style Yogurt, fresh yogurt, well whisked; ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper; ⅓ tsp Rock Salt, sendha namak, to taste; ½ tsp Sugar, powdered, to balance the curd; 1 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds, anar dana, for garnish; ½ tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped, for garnish; ½ tsp Ghee, for roasting makhana

10 mintotal

Prep 5 min · Cook 5 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Ingredients

¾ cupFox Nuts
1 cupIndian-Style Yogurtfresh yogurt, well whisked
½ tspRoasted Cumin Powder
¼ tspGround Black Pepper
⅓ tspRock Saltsendha namak, to taste
½ tspSugarpowdered, to balance the curd
1 tbspPomegranate Seedsanar dana, for garnish
½ tbspCoriander Leaveschopped, for garnish
½ tspGheefor roasting makhana

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Method

Start by melting a small amount of ghee in a pan over low-medium heat.
Add the makhana (foxnuts) to the fat. Roast them slowly for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously, until they snap cleanly when you press one. Take them out and let them cool completely.
5–7 min
Within a culinary mixing basin, deposit the freshly aerated, hyper-whisked curd. (Should the viscosity be overly dense, temper it with a calculated tablespoon of chilled water).
Whisk in the rock salt, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder and the sugar. Keep whisking until the yogurt is completely smooth.
Timing matters here: stir the cooled, crushed makhana into the spiced yogurt no more than 5 minutes before serving.
Fold the ingredients with a delicate touch, ensuring the yogurt completely glazes the brittle nuts without drowning them.
Finish by scattering pomegranate seeds, a light dusting of cumin and chopped fresh coriander over the raita.
Mandate chilled service.

How to tell it's done

A creamy, cool yogurt base interspersed with wildly crunchy, airy foxnuts and sweet bursts of pomegranate.

Getting it right

Tip

Never add warm makhana to the curd, as it will make them chewy instead of crisp. Always wait until serving time to mix them, otherwise they will turn completely soggy.

What to serve it with

A cooling side for spicy vrat dishes like sabudana khichdi or sama pulao.

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