A Little Bit of Everything - Perfect Raita
Vacations. Expectations run high, and they hold so much promise. But sometimes, things don't go as planned. Sometimes things go very, very wrong. Finding that magic combination of what works has been like chasing pixie dust.
G and I love to travel. We've had some great vacations and we've had our share of misadventures. Our infamous Maine vacation sums up vacations gone wrong. We naively thought flying and then driving two hours was doable with two year olds. Poet and Flower were so little, and very wedded to their schedule. After our long plane flight, Poet drank the last of the milk in his sippy cup. We had forgotten that it had been there for a little while. Actually, a long while. He drank it all and then threw up in his car seat a few hours later. We were left cleaning up his car seat at a rest stop and desperately trying to wipe down a crying, tired and unhappy little one.
This summer, we visited Nashville. A hot summer weekend and our first car trip in awhile . We all voted for what we wanted to do. G and the kids voted for the science museum. The zoo was my choice, and I was outvoted. I'm lucky I didn't win, as ten minutes in the heat would have sent us all straight back to the car. Instead, we spent a cool afternoon at Nashville's Adventure Science museum. The kids enjoyed their first planetarium show and a few live science demonstrations. The kids watched spellbound as they made a fire and watched dry ice explode.
Poet and Flower also love Taylor Swift. They have a penchant for country music. Five minutes makes me a little crazy, but they love it. They found Taylor Swift's Educational Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's a wonderful place.Kids can write music, color guitar music sheets and do crafts. The kids sat and made puppets while listening to her music. A small homage to the history of puppets in Nashville and country music. G wandered through the museum. And I sat down. Sitting down quietly is my idea of a great vacation. It's no small feat as Poet and Flower never stop. The kids used yarn, markers, and glue to make puppets. They couldn't have been happier.
We spent the rest of the weekend eating great food. Nashville hot chicken, or really just hot chicken since you're already in Nashville. Barbecue, brisket, and more meat than can be good for you. The kids ate sushi at a southern food place and drew cute stares from the wait staff. They enjoyed strawberry slushies and more snacks than I can count.
A great way to beat the heat is with raita. It's an Indian staple that's cool and refreshing on a hot day. Slowly cook onions, cilantro and curry leaves until they reduce down into a savory, spicy sauce. Mix in cool yogurt, and it's perfect with rice. It's also a perfect side dish for biriyani, meat, or fish. I love having it when grilling. It's a nice complement to grilled burgers or lamb.
We did a little bit of everything. Something for all of us. And perhaps that's what life is all about—a little bit of everything.
Perfect Raita
This Indian yogurt dish is cool, herbal and refreshing. Made with onions, cilantro and curry leaves. It's light and a perfect complement to fiery curries or on its own with rice.
Serves 4
- 2 cups yogurt
- 2 stems curry leaves
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 1-2 green chilis
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon coconut powder
- 1 cup cilantro
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- In a blender or food processor, grind the green chilis, garlic, pepper, oconut powder and cilantro into thick paste. Add just a little water to make a smooth paste.
- In a medium frypan, heat oil over medium heat, saute curry leaves and onions. Cook the onions are soft and translucent about 5 minutes.
- Add ground masala paste to the onions and curry leaves. Cook until the mixture has thickened and the oil separates, about 10-15 minutes.
- Take off the heat. Let cool and then add yogurt and salt. You can enjoy it immediately or let sit for a few hours for the flavors to meld.
- Serve with rice or your favorite curry.