Grated cucumber folded into thick mountain yogurt with roasted hemp seeds, mint and black salt — the cooling Kumaoni raita with a distinctly Pahadi nuttiness.
Ingredients
1 medium cucumber — peeled and grated on the coarse side
2 cups thick plain yogurt
1 tbsp bhang seeds (culinary hemp seeds) — dry-roasted until popping and lightly crushed
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/4 tsp black salt (kala namak)
10 fresh mint leaves — finely chopped
Regular salt to taste
1/4 tsp red chilli powder for garnish
Method
Grate the peeled cucumber on the coarse side.
Place in a clean cloth and squeeze firmly to remove all excess water — dry cucumber keeps the raita thick and creamy rather than watery.
Whisk thick cold yogurt until completely smooth.
Dry-roast 1 tbsp hemp seeds in a small pan for 2 to 3 minutes until they pop.
Cool. Lightly crush with a mortar or the back of a spoon.
Combine grated cucumber, whisked yogurt, crushed roasted hemp seeds, roasted cumin powder, black salt, finely chopped mint and regular salt. Mix gently.
Taste — the raita should be cooling from cucumber and yogurt, fragrant from cumin and mint, with the distinctly Pahadi nuttiness from roasted hemp seeds.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.
Dust a pinch of red chilli powder on top.
Serve alongside any Pahadi meal as a cooling accompaniment.