Guava / Peru Raita.

“Guava / Peru Raita' ... Peru’s are back in season and I see them everywhere … There are endless dishes both spicy and cooked that can be prepared out of this delicious fruit not to mention the Juice loved by all … Here is a simple Raita with Guava that can be served as a side dish … Yumz ….... 

Raitas are an accompaniment to lunch / dinner with other spicy dishes or with Thali. Whenever I prepare Biryani or spicy pulavs, Raita is a must in my home. We love having spicy rice dishes with raita rather than curries. My hubby loves raita with roti too, well he can have them in a bow like Ice Cream too. The curd based salad goes very well with many a dishes. Raita should always be served fresh. Once the beaten curd is added to the cut vegetables / fruits, it should be mixed, tempered and served within an hour at maximum period. Once the veggies / fruits are added to the curds it tends to turn sour. Salt also should be added towards the end. I always prepare curds in bulk and store in fridge, so that I can prepare raita, curd rice, kadhi or other curd dishes without having to worry to go to store to buy the same. It comes in very handy and is a blessing in disguise when you are loaded with office work and reach home late. Do include curds in any form in your daily diet as they are very good for health and for the stomach. This particular raita has the added goodness of Guava / Peru a versatile fruit which is too good and beneficial for overall health and is a powerhouse of nutrients. 

** Wash and wipe 2-3 large sized guava / peru. The peru used for this salad should not be overripe or too raw. It should have just begun to ripe. The pieces when cut should stay intact and crunchy and should not get mushy or mashed up when mixing. So choose the fruit carefully. Slice off both the side edges near the stem and bottom to remove the inedible portion.

** Cut the peru into bite sized cubes. Do not make them too large nor too small pieces / cubes. They should be just bit sized for easy eating when served. Put the cut pieces in a bowl and apply a little bit of salt and mix it all over. Add 2-3 green chillies slit lengthwise and cut into pieces. Add more if you want it spicier.

** Beat one cup of curds to a smooth and creamy texture. Add this to the ingredients in the bowl and mix well. If the curds are too thick you can add in a little bit of water while beating the curds. But be careful and do not add in more, on settling down sometimes the fruits leave a little bit of moisture / juice, so check and add. The best thing is to add on just before serving if necessary only. That way you will not have to worry about the texture going runny.

** For Tempering : Heat 1 tblsp of coconut oil (Optional, any oil will do) in a small pan. When hot, lower the heat and add in 1 tsp mustard seeds, when they begin to splutter add in a tsp of hing / asafoetida powder and 6-8 curry leaves, fry for a few seconds and pour over the Guava / Peru Raita. 

** If at all you have prepared this before hand, do put it in the fridge to avoid the dish going sour. You can prepare this a few hours before serving too and put it in fridge and serve later on. In which case just remove the raita about 20 minutes before serving time from the fridge and keep it aside to loose coolness a little bit. 

** “Guava / Peru Raita” is done and ready to be served. You can serve it as an accompaniment along with any dish of your choice. An easy and quick recipe which will be loved by people who love a little bit of sourness in dishes. Spicy pulavs are the best choice, but your can serve them in thali along with other dishes too like the way I did. Enjoy this delicious Raita with your family and friends and to mail me or leave a comment plz. 

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