Fruit Raita

There’s so much that you can actually do with fruits. Other than munching on them as a healthy snack, you can make a variety of dishes like this Fruit Raita. This is basically a popular preparation enjoyed as a side dish, made with yogurt, fresh fruits, spices and seasonings. You must’ve had many other Raita with your typical Indian meals. But this one made with fruits is primarily sweet. Thus, can be relished as a dessert as well. Super duper easy to prepare with just few steps, this fruity raita recipe is worth a try.

About Fruit Raita

Raitas are one of the easiest dishes that can be prepared within minutes and paired with almost any meal in Indian cuisine. Since many of them are essentially served chilled, they are best when it comes to balancing the spicy and bold flavors in a typical robust Indian meal.

But this Fruit Raita is one step ahead. Not only is this really delicious, but can also easily be consumed as a healthier option in a dessert.

Since it is sweet with a slight touch of spice, it is perfect as a sweet dish for ending a meal. For making the raita, I have used bananas, pomegranate and apples.

No special reason for using them except that they were there in my kitchen and these fruits pair well with each other. However, you can use fruits of your choice to make this Fruit Raita.

Just take care that the fruit combinations and pairings are compatible together. For example, I don’t like to have citrus fruits with sweet fruits, and so on.

Raitas are also an ideal accompaniment with pulao, biryani or dal-rice combinations. They are quick to prepare and turn your meal heartier and more colorful. This Fruit Raita is nothing different.

It goes very well with your everyday meals as well as the food you specially prepare for fasting or vrat. I even highly suggest you to have it as a dessert after your meals are done.

More On The Recipe

Since the Indian fasting recipes are usually loaded with carbs and fats, it is a good practice to include some proteins and vitamins-minerals in the food made during vrats. Plain fruits as well as fruit juices are a great way to boost the nutrient quotient in a fasting diet. This raita is another way you can add the goodness of fruits in your vrat menu.

As I wanted to prepare this Fruit Raita for Navratri Vrat, I took care to use the spices which are allowed during Navratri fasting. So, this raita is spiced up subtly with roasted cumin powder, red chili powder and edible rock salt only.

You can refer the Navratri Fasting Rules to know more about the said vrat rules. If you are making this Fruit Raita for a regular day, then you can add any other spice of your liking too.

I usually like to spice up raita by adding chaat masala, chili powder, roasted cumin powder and dried mango powder, etc.

To make this fruit-filled raita more filling and nutritious, you can also top it with some nuts and dry fruits like chopped cashews, sliced almonds or raisins. These will also bring in an element of crunch in the raita.

How to make Fruit Raita

Preparation

1. Peel, core and chop 1 medium-sized apple. Then, peel and chop 1 medium-sized banana.

Slice 1 small to medium-sized pomegranate and remove the arils. Keep the chopped fruits aside for making the raita.

2. In a bowl, take ½ cup yogurt (curd). It is best to use fresh curd (yogurt) or homemade Curd and make sure it is not sour.

3. Whisk the yogurt with the help of a wired whisk or spoon.

4. Whisk the yogurt until smooth.

5. Then, add 2 to 3 tablespoons raw sugar or as required.

6. Mix the sugar well, till it dissolves.

7. Next, add ¼ teaspoon of roasted cumin powder, 1 to 2 pinches red chili powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika) and 1 to 2 pinches of rock salt (sendha namak).

Tip 1: If you are not making this raita for Hindu religious fasting (vrat), then you can use regular salt instead of edible rock salt.

Tip 2: The amount of ground spices can be altered as per your taste preferences.

8. Stir and mix very well.

Make Fruit Raita

9. Lastly, add the chopped bananas, apples and pomegranate arils.

10. Mix well.

11. Serve the Fruit Raita immediately. You can garnish the raita with pomegranate arils or mint leaves. It can be eaten as a dessert after your meals.

Expert Tips

1. For this Fruit Raita recipe, ensure to use fresh curd that is not sour.
2. Make sure to use the combination of fruits that pair well together. Fruits like mango, apple, banana, sapodilla, custard apple, papaya, pear, pomegranates, strawberries, grapes can be included.
3. If you are making this raita for a regular non-fasting day, then you can use normal or regular salt instead of edible rock salt.
4. The quantity of spices can be altered as per your taste preferences. Alternatives to red chili powder are cayenne pepper or paprika.
5. You can add more to the nutrient quotient of this Fruit Raita by topping it with almonds, cashews or raisins.
6. Make a vegan recipe by using a vegan yogurt instead of dairy yogurt.
7. This is one of those recipes that can be very easily scaled, depending on the number of people you want to make it for.

This Fruit Raita recipe post from the archives, first published in October 2013 has been updated and republished on October 2022.