Growing up, Spinach was one of my nemesis, we just didn’t get along much. Until one fine day, my mom made this beautiful Spinach Raita that I now loooooove and crave. I love pairing this raita with Pulao rice, and now that I am trying to eat healthier, I like to use it as a dip for almost every snack I have. It’s the easiest, most South Asian thing to add to your menu. Plus not really spicy (unlike our other foods).
How is Palak raita different from regular raita?
So the regular raita that you’ve probably seen served with Biryani or pulao is simply beaten yogurt with a couple of spices and vegetables sometimes. This spinach raita is a little more bougie since it has a layer of “Tarka” or tempered spices that sit on top of it. A tarka consists of several whole spices fried in oil and simply poured onto a dish ready to serve. Several Pakistani yogurt-based recipes use Tarka or “baghaar” to elevate the taste.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredients for my palak raita are super basic, and you probably have them in your pantry right now.
Yogurt – Full-fat yogurt is ideal for any raita recipe for its rich taste. But feel free to substitute with low-fat options or even non-dairy options if that’s your thing. Spinach – Most leafy spinach varieties can be used here. Just remove the stems if they are too thick. You can also use pre-frozen or blanched spinach for this recipe. Oil – I love the flavor of olive oil with this recipe, although any neutral oil or ghee can be used. Whole spices – Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and whole dried red chilies. There aren’t any alternatives here, but you can use fresh green chilies instead if you are out of dried ones Red chili powder – Use any red chili powder that you have, paprika will work too. Garlic – Freshly chopped garlic works here. I’ve found the taste of garlic paste a little bitter for this recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Variations
Make it Spicy – You can add more red chili powder or Thai green chilies to the Tarka to make your yogurt spicier! Add vegetables – Try adding shredded zucchini or eggplant to the spinach to increase the nutritional value of the raita. Or really any other vegetable you like Crunch – You can add brown fried onions on top of the raita to add a layer of crunch to it. Finishing Spices – Add chat masala or a dash of hot sauce on top of the raita.
How to make Palak raita
The recipe is overall super simple. I’ve put together a pictorial to lay out the easy steps. It requires 3 simple things, beaten yogurt, cooked spinach, and finishing tarka.
Serve the raita as in along with your mains or nachos. The sizzling sound that you get when the oil hits the yogurt, is what I live for people!! And you are done! It is THAT easy!
Expert Tips
Make sure to wash your spinach properly with water. The best way is to dunk it in a bowl of cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then pick up the leaves and you will see all the dirt settle on the bottom of the bowl. Now you can simply rinse the spinach and start chopping Remove the stems of the spinach if they are too thick. And remove any wilted parts of the leaves.
What can palak raita be paired with?
Keema bhara paratha Aloo ka paratha Use as a dip for pita bread, nachos, or papad. Serve alongside roasted chicken like Lahori Chargha or Chicken Sajji
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Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!
