Bathua Raita (Chenopodium Yogurt Dip)
on Jan 17, 2024
Make this delicious and refreshing North Indian Bathua Raita (Chenopodium Yogurt Dip) using fresh bathua greens. Serve it with Indian-style meals.
You can try more raita recipes for everyday meals – Kaddu Ka Raita, Burani Raita, Carrot Raita, Cucumber Raita, Sana Hua Nimbu, and Pahadi Kheere Ka Raita.
About Bathua Raita
Bathua Raita is a refreshing North Indian accompaniment made using plain yogurt and bathua leaves. It is best served with stuffed parathas, pulavs, and khichdi.
In English, Bathua is also called Chenopodium album, goosefoot, or Lamb’s Quarter. It is a winter green with dark green leaves and is available for a very short period in winter.
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 side of the country. What a loss, I would say.
I did not make this raita for years. But now, with such a huge North Indian community in Bangalore and all parts of India, this green is easily available during the winter. If you get bathua, where do you stay, try this raita. You will love it!
Ingredients
Plain Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) – You can use full-fat yogurt or low-fat yogurt.
To make the raita vegan, use vegan yogurt.
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.
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 under running 2-3 times to eliminate all the mud.
Gather the remaining ingredients.
Cook The Bathua
Heat 3 cups of water in a pan over medium-high heat.
When it comes to a boil, add 2 cups of bathua leaves and ½ teaspoon baking soda to the pan.
Cook for 2 minutes. Drain the water and run the leaves under cold water.
Add the cooked leaves to a small jar of a blender and blend to make a smooth paste. If needed, add very little water while blending.
Make The Raita
Whisk 1 cup of chilled plain yogurt in a bowl until smooth and creamy using a wire whisk.
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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just like any other greens, remove the leaves from the stem. Fill a large pot with water and add the leaves. Give a gentle stir. Let the leaves soak for a minute. The mud will settle down at the bottom of the pot. Gently remove the leaves from the top. Repeat this process 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
Now, chop or puree the bathua leaves and use them in your recipes.
Pro Tips By Neha
You can also add a green chili while blending the Bathua. This will add a nice spiciness to the Raita.
Temper the raita with cumin seeds and hing to make it slightly different. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and a pinch of asaetida (hing) when the ghee is hot. Pour this tadka over the prepared raita.
You can make this raita using other greens, such as spinach (palak) and fenugreek leaves (methi).
I like to puree blanched bathua greens and then mix the puree with yogurt to make this raita, But I have seen that many households add cooked and chopped bathua to their raita. So, if you like a little texture in your raita, add the finely chopped cooked bathua instead of the pureed one.
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Bathua Raita Recipe (Chenopodium Yogurt Dip)
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.
