Banana Raita

This is a great little side-dish - almost a salad, really.  It is a wonderful accompaniment to curry, but I'd be happy to have it alongside just about any spicy dinner, to enjoy its cooling flavours.

Serves 2 - 4, depending on what else you're serving
Total prep and cooking time:  5 minutes

2 firm bananas (a little greenish is okay)

1 1/2 cups plain yoghurt

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (any)

1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds

pinch cayenne (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Quarter bananas lengthwise, and dice onto a cutting board.  Place the yoghurt In a serving bowl, and add the ground cumin and pinch of cayenne.  In a small skillet, heat the cumin, mustard and nigella seeds until fragrant.  Add them to the yoghurt before they start popping all over the place.  Stir quickly into the cool yoghurt. Add the diced bananas, and fold gently in until all incorporated.   Serve, or cover with plastic wrap and keep in fridge for a couple of hours.

You can adjust this until you have the perfect amount ratio of banana to yoghurt, and of course you can play with the spices.  A little shredded coconut is also quite nice (I suppose you could use coconut yoghurt, too).

 

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