Mooli Raita | Radish Pachadi Recipe

Mooli Raita | Radish Pachadi 

No rants or ramblings or memories to share with you all today! Alas, the word that usually forms in my mind coming from heart and flowing at my finger tips tapping on keyboard seems to have left me today…all alone!

But I don’t want to disappoint my readers, who come here on early mornings, or hot afternoons and some even come late at night. Be it a thundery-rainy days or hot and sweaty summer days, be it cold and freezing winter times or fresh and beautiful spring days, the readers have come here to see what I have here in Monsoon Spice kitchen, some freshly prepared food cooked with love and passion! They come here to learn, share, and savour the food. They have very generously shared some family recipes with useful tips. They also have come here just to say hello and see if I am OK! How can I leave such wonderful people disappointed with blank page?

Mooli Raita | Radish Pachadi
 

I may not have any memories or ramblings to share today. But at least I can share some recipe with you which my family loves and adores! Today I have some fresh Mooli Raita or Radish Pachadi, a simple dish of Radish in chilled yogurt and tempered with aromatic spices. With the winter vegetables flooding the Asian markets in my neck of wood, I brought home some fresh and beautiful white Radish home on weekend. Since we spent all waking hours playing with Lil Dumpling, trying to compensate the missed hours on weekdays, I didn’t want to spend hours tied to gas cooker! Silly, stupid and rubbish! I know… But this is mother’s heart and everything ‘chalta hai’!

Anyways, this quick and simple Mooli Raita/Pachadi was all we needed to serve with delicious Tofu Paratha I made on previous night. Grated radish is stir fried with sweet onion and aromatic spices before it is mixed with creamy yogurt. The end product is one of the best tasting Raita with crunch from radish, sweetness from onions and the spicy note from chillies. The smelly and stinking radish, my number one enemy during childhood days, never smelled and tasted this good before!!! Don’t you believe me? Then it’s time to try this recipe of Mooli Raita or Radish Pachadi and see if I am telling the truth!

Grated Radish, Onions and Coriander Leaves for Mooli Raita | Radish Pachadi

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Mooli Raita or Radish Pachadi (Radish in cool, creamy Yogurt tempered with aromatic spices)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Serves: 3-4 people
Spice Level: Mild to Medium
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Shelf Life: Tastes best when served fresh but can be refrigerated for a day or two
Recipe Source: Amma
Serving Suggestion: With any flavoured or plain rice or any Indian flat breads and pickle

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Ingredients:
1 medium Mooli/Radish, peeled and grated (about 2 packed cups)
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1-2 Green chilli, finely chopped
2-3 cups Yogurt, whisked or beaten
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste


For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 dry Red Chilli, broken
Few Curry Leaves
A small pinch of Hing/Asafoetida (Optional)
1 tbsp Oil

Mooli Raita | Radish Pachadi

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add all the tadka ingredients one by one. When mustard seeds starts to pop and splutter, mix in chopped green chilli and cook for half a minute or so.
2. Next add chopped onions and cook till they turn translucent, about 1-2 minutes, on medium heat.
3. Mix in grated radish and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes till raw smell disappears. Take it from the flame and let it cool completely.
4. Beat or whisk the yogurt till it is lump free and add cooked radish to it. Add salt to taste, chopped coriander leaves and mix all the ingredients well. Add little more yogurts if needed to get desired consistency and keep it refrigerated till needed.
5. Serve this creamy Mooli Raita or Radish Pachadi chilled with any plain or flavoured rice or with any Indian flat bread, with your favourite pickle in the side, and enjoy the goodness!