Zoh Recipes · Yogurt
Let ripe tomato be the main vegetable in this raita. Small pieces give bursts of flavour against the plain yogurt, while roasted cumin and coriander keep the bowl savoury. There is no onion, cucumber or garlic in the base recipe.
Ingredients · Method · Tips
Ingredients
- 300 g plain yogurt, chilled
- 150 g firm ripe tomato, finely diced; weight after trimming and removing loose watery seed pulp
- 5 g fresh coriander leaves, washed, dried and finely chopped
- 1 g roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera)
- 1 g fine salt
- 0.5 g Kashmiri chilli powder, optional
Make it in four steps
- Prepare the tomatoes. Wash the tomatoes. Remove the stalk area and loose watery seed pulp, then finely dice the flesh. Weigh 150 g of prepared tomato.
- Season the yogurt. Whisk 300 g chilled yogurt gently until smooth. Mix in 1 g roasted cumin powder and 1 g salt. Add 0.5 g Kashmiri chilli powder only if using.
- Fold, do not blend. Fold the diced tomato and 5 g chopped coriander into the yogurt. Keep the pieces intact rather than blending the raita into a sauce.
- Serve promptly. Divide into four side portions. Keep covered and refrigerated until serving; if assembling ahead, keep the prepared tomato separate and fold it in close to the meal.
Make the texture work for you
Firm, ripe tomatoes
Choose sound tomatoes that hold their shape when cut. Very soft tomatoes release more liquid and make the texture harder to repeat.
No added lemon in the base
Tomato and yogurt already contribute tang. Assess this version before making an extra-acid variation.
Keep it tomato-focused
For a mixed cucumber-onion-tomato bowl, use a dedicated kachumber recipe rather than adding every vegetable to this ratio.
Serve it with
Try this beside a simple dal-rice meal, vegetable pulao or roasted vegetables. Use it as a side portion rather than pouring the whole batch into a hot dish.
Questions before you make it
Can I use cherry tomatoes?
Yes. Quarter or finely dice them and use 150 g prepared tomato. Their sweetness and juice level can differ from larger tomatoes.
Is chilli essential?
No. The base uses roasted cumin and coriander; the 0.5 g chilli powder is optional. Keep it out if you prefer a milder bowl.
Keep it fresh
Use clean utensils, safe drinking water and washed produce. Keep prepared portions covered and refrigerated; make a manageable amount for the meal. Adding fruit or vegetables does not reset the age of the yogurt.
If you plan to reculture, reserve plain yogurt before making this recipe. Do not use the finished flavoured dish as your next starter.
Choose your yogurt base
Use successfully set, chilled plain yogurt. Explore Zoh Greek yogurt starter or Zoh Bulgarian yogurt starter if you make your own. Follow the starter’s complete directions before using the finished yogurt here.
Flavour and texture guide
Choose the right consistency before adding fruit or vegetables.
Yogurt storage guide
Keep plain yogurt and prepared dishes correctly chilled.
More yogurt serving ideas · Help with a yogurt batch
Food handling reference: FSSAI clean, separate and chill guidance. Cover is an editorial illustration.