Grape Raita

Note: recipe adapted from Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness.

Ingredients: 

3 cups plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups seedless grapes, halved

2 tsp ground, toasted cumin

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika

Tempering oil: 

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp cumin seeds or black mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

6 fresh or frozen curry leaves, torn

salt to taste

Preparation:

Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until smooth. Stir in grapes, followed by cumin, sugar and cayenne or paprika. For the tempering oil, heat the oil with the cumin or mustard seeds in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the seeds darken and begin to crackle, 1 to 2 minutes. Add fennel seeds and curry leaves and cook, uncovered, stirring, 5 to 10 seconds. Pour hot tempering oil over the yogurt and chill. Just before serving, stir in the salt.