MINTY VEG YOGHURT SALAD (RAITA) AND A POST ON A HERB-MINT

MINTY VEG YOGHURT SALAD (RAITA)
AND POST ON A HERB- MINT

EDITED: This recipe was published in the local Newspaper of Airdrie "Here's the Scoop" on 31st March 2017.

Mint is a powerful herb, which has a freshening flavour. That is the reason; it is used in many modern products like toothpastes, chewing gum, mouth fresheners, chocolates, inhalers etc. In India, I have seen mint capsules (Pudin hara) are available for indigestion, which is a very effective medicine to calm stomach cramps.

 

This is a tender herb like coriander and basil. These tender herbs are not used, straight in the pot, while cooking or baking an item, because chances are excessive heat will cause the mint leaves to lose their colour, aroma and nutrients during the process of cooking. Their optimum benefits can only be obtained when they are garnished fresh on top of food.

 

Normally, we use fresh green mint leaves which are easily available everywhere. In the absence of fresh mint, dry mint leaves can also be used. Dried mint leaves give almost the same flavour and taste like the fresh ones. I use these dried mint leaves to garnish veg and fruit salads, yoghurt raitas, chats and drinks etc.

 

It is very easy to dry the mint leaves, they can be dried in the shade and don’t need to be directly in the sun. The best place can be the dining table because mint leaves need a shady area to dry out. If mint leaves are dried in the sun, the colour and aroma will not be sustained. I always dry extra mint leaves and keep it for future use, these dry leaves can last in a glass jar for many months. That's how I do it – after rinsing the leaves with the stems, I spread them on a kitchen towel in a shady area. Next day I transfer them on a kitchen paper, they can take around 2-3 days to dry completely.  When they are dried, I crush the dry leaves in small pieces and fill them in a glass jar. This can last on the shelf for many months.

 

In Indian cuisine, a very tasty and flavourful mint chutney is made with fresh mint leaves, which is a famous restaurant chutney, available and served in almost all Indian restaurants with fritters and samosas in India and abroad. Apart from the freshness, aroma and taste of this mint leaves chutney, it has a nice pleasing green colour.

It is also very easy to grow mint. If you are planning to grow some mint leaves, take some stems and put in a jar with some fresh water, change the water every day. Within few days you will see the roots in the jar, as you can see in my picture. Within a few days, you may see plenty of roots in the jar, then transfer them in a pot with some nice soil. Mint plant needs a lot of sunlight and dripping water, I mean the soil should always be moist. I had grown mint leaves, many times in my kitchen garden when I lived in Africa.

Apart from such a nice flavour, mint leaves have many health benefits, check this website-organic facts.net

 

This is a very simple but tasty salad or a side dish, in which I have just folded the fresh vegetables in yoghurt and added some spices and garnished it with fresh mint. 

 

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 500 ml Greek yoghurt
• 100 grams cucumber (1/4 English cucumber)
• 100 grams tomato (one medium)
• 100 grams boiled potato (one medium)
• 50 grams onion ( one small)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed roasted cumin seeds
• Few mint leaves to garnish

METHOD

• Chop all vegetables except onions into small pieces
• Finely chop the onion, and mix with other vegetables.
• Mix salt, black pepper, cumin and Himalayan pink salt in yoghurt.
• Fold yoghurt in all the vegetables and garnish with fresh chopped mint leaves and keep it in the fridge.
• Serve cold. This can be served to 4-6 people as a salad or a side dish.

I am sharing this recipe as my blog post entry to Hearth and Soul blog party, Sunday Food and Fitness party, Sweet Inspiration link party, Cook blog share party, Healthy Living Link party.  Meat less Monday, and Fiesta Friday link party. co host  Indian curry  and Margy's blog and Eat your greens party   and with I am pinnable party  and with Healthy Living link party. and with Cook once and eat twice linky