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Chill out with this hot raita
Besan, mirchi and dahi, the time-tested trio to combat summer heat,
join hands to make a dish that is colourful and easy to prepare  SOME
like it hot, even in the height of summer. Well, truth be told,
this isn’t a scorcher or palate singer. The recipe packs all the
benefits of chillies that stoke a sluggish appetite and help the
digestive system and so on but the pungency is beautifully tempered by
sweet curds.
The dish is colourful,
quickly fixed and the besan lends it some body and bouquet. You can
treat it as a raita or a thandi sabzi. The lady who
gifted us this recipe was from Rajasthan and sang paeans of praise
claiming that the ingredients besan,`A0mirchi and dahi
were the trio time-tested to combat and defeat heat. Isn’t karhi
and khata for that matter not an irresistible temptation when
we lose our cool as the days heat up?
We didn’t pick up the
gauntlet then but decided to test the proof of the proverbial pudding.
Well, we have since sent a letter of thanks to our host acknowledging
our debt for this gem.
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Besani
mirch ka raita
 Ingredients
Curd (whisked) 200 ml
Plump red
chillies (long variety) two
Plump green
chillies (long variety) two
Besan 2 tbsp
Jeera powder ½
tsp
Red chilli
powder ¼ tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method
Wipe clean the chillies
and cut into about 1 inch long round pieces. Prepare a batter of
thick pouring-consistency with besan. Blend the salt and
powdered spices in the batter. Heat oil in a pan and put in the
chillies. After stir-frying for 30 seconds, pour in the batter
and keep stirring briskly. The chillies should be well coated
with batter but not resemble pakora or mirchi bada!
Cook till the besan exudes a pleasant well done aroma. Remove
from flame and cool. Then put in a bowl and mix with curd. Treat
yourself and the guests perhaps in reverse order.
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