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Food & Wine Recipe

Tomato-Cilantro Raita

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  • ACTIVE: 15 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
  • SERVINGS: Makes 2 cups of raita
  • •HEALTHY
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •VEGETARIAN

A simple, cooling yogurt dip, raita is delicious with the peppery version of the crisp lentil-flour wafers called pappadams (or any spicy food) sold at every Indian market.

  1. 1 cup plain yogurt
  2. 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  3. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  4. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  6. 20 large black-pepper pappadams
  1. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl. Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the broiler. Set 1 pappadam in the center of a baking sheet as close to the heat as possible and broil with the oven door open until the pappadam begins to puff, about 5 seconds. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and turn the pappadam 180 degrees. Return to the oven for about 3 seconds longer, or until the pappadam is dimpled and puffed. Transfer the pappadam to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining pappadams. Serve with the raita.
Make Ahead The pappadams can be baked up to 1 hour ahead.