Bathua Raita Recipe
Bathua Raita (Chenopodium Yogurt Dip) is a delicious accompaniment to serve with North Indian meals. Make it using my easy recipe.
I like to make a raita for almost all my lunches. Here are a few of my favorite raita recipes – Kaddu Ka Raita, Carrot Raita, Cucumber Raita, and Sana Hua Nimbu.
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Table of Contents
About Bathua Raita
In English, Bathua is also known as Chenopodium album, goosefoot, or Lamb’s Quarters. It is a winter green with dark green leaves, available for a very short period in winter.
Bathua Raita is a refreshing North Indian accompaniment made using plain yogurt, fresh bathua (chenopodium leaves), and a few spices. Bathua leaves are cooked, pureed, and then mixed with yogurt and a few spices.
While growing up, winter weekends meant bathua paratha and bathua raita for lunch. After moving to Bangalore, I couldn’t find this green anywhere. It was not used in the southern part of the country. What a loss, I would say.
I had not made this raita in years. However, with a vast North Indian community in Bangalore and throughout India, this green is now easily accessible during the winter. If you get bathua where you live, then try this raita.
I enjoy serving bathua raita with stuffed parathas, pulavs, and khichdi. You can also serve it with any North Indian style meals. Whenever I make this raita, I prepare a few extra portions and store them in a glass container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This way, I can eat it whenever I want to.
Ingredients
Plain Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) – You can use full-fat yogurt or low-fat yogurt to make the bathua raita recipe. I personally prefer using full-fat yogurt, as it makes my raita super creamy. However, if you are looking for a low-calorie version, you can use low-fat yogurt instead.
If you follow a vegan diet, then replace dairy yogurt with vegan yogurt. All the other ingredients in this recipe are vegan-friendly.
Bathua (Lamb’s Quarter, Chenopodium) is the star ingredient of this raita recipe. Use fresh, unwilted leaves.
Others – You will also need baking soda, regular white salt, black salt, roasted cumin powder, and red chili powder.
Baking soda helps to retain the bright green of bathua. You can also add ½ teaspoon of my Raita Masala Powder to this recipe for a taste uplift.
How To Make Bathue Ka Raita
Preparation
Pick the leaves and discard the stems from the bunch of bathua. You will need 2 cups of packed leaves.
Wash the leaves well with running water 2-3 times to remove all the mud.
Cook The Bathua Leaves
Step 1: Start by cooking and pureeing the bathua. We are using the blanching method, which includes quickly boiling the leaves and then immediately cooling them down by dipping them in cold water. This step retains the nutritional benefits of the bathua and also helps in retaining its bright green color.
Add 3 cups of water to a medium-sized pan and set it on the stove. Now heat it over medium-high heat until the water comes to a rolling boil.
Step 2: Add 2 cups of bathua leaves and ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the pan, then press the leaves with a ladle to submerge them in water.
Step 3: Now cook the leaves for just 2 minutes.
Step 4: Drain the water using a large mesh strainer and run the leaves under cold water to stop further cooking.
Step 5: Add the cooked leaves to the small jar of a blender and blend to create a smooth puree. Add very little water while blending, if needed, to help puree it easily.
Make The Raita
Step 6: Add 1 cup of chilled plain yogurt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk it with a wire whisk until smooth and creamy.
Step 7: Now add the following ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- bathua puree
- ½ teaspoon regular white salt
- ½ teaspoon black salt
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
Step 8: Add a little milk or water if the raita looks thick and mix well. The right consistency of bathua raita should be flowy but not watery.
Tip – You can chill it for a few more hours in the refrigerator to make it even more refreshing.
Bathua Raita FAQs
I clean bathua leaves just like I clean any other greens. Firstly, pluck the leaves from the stem and discard the stems. Fill a large pot with water and add the leaves. Now, gently rub the leaves between your palms for 3-4 seconds. Then let the leaves soak for a minute. The mud will settle at the bottom of the pot. Now gently remove the leaves from the top of the bowl. Repeat this process 2-3 times until the water in the bowl looks clean and free of mud particles. You can now use the leaves as per your recipe.
You can blanch and puree the bathua leaves and store the puree in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. You can also freeze the puree in small portions for up to 6 months. Just thaw the puree and use it to make the raita.
Ready bathua raita can also be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. After that, the yogurt will start to become sour.
Pro Tips By Neha
I sometimes add a green chili while blending the bathua for a spicy kick in the raita.
To give the raita a slightly different taste, you can temper it with cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing). Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the ghee is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and a pinch of asafetida (hing) and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds. Then pour this tadka over the prepared raita and mix well.
You can also make this raita using other greens than bathua. Spinach (palak) and fenugreek leaves (methi) are some options.
I like to puree blanched bathua greens and then mix the puree with yogurt to make this raita, but I have seen many households chop the bathua and cook it for 4-5 minutes in a pan. Then, they add the cooked bathua to the yogurt, along with the other ingredients, to make the raita. This gives the raita a little texture.
Other Raita Recipes We Recommend
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Bathua Raita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups bathua leaves (packed, rinsed)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chilled yogurt (dahi, curd)
- ½ teaspoon regular white salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
Instructions
Cook The Bathua
- Heat 3 cups of water in a pan over medium-high heat.
- When it comes to a boil, add bathua leaves and baking soda to the pan.
- Cook for 2 minutes. Drain the water and run the leaves under cold water.
- Add the cooked leaves to the small jar of a blender and blend to make a smooth paste. You can add very little water while blending if needed.
Make The Raita
- Whisk yogurt in a bowl until smooth and creamy using a wire whisk.
- Add bathua puree, regular white salt, black salt, roasted cumin powder, and red chili powder, and mix well.
- Add a little milk or water if you want the raita thinner.
- Bathua Raita is ready to be served. Chill it for a few hours before serving for the best taste.
My most favorite raita