Persimmon raita
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Keywords: blender appetizer sauce gluten-free low-sodium vegetarian yogurt persimmon Indian fall
Ingredients (About 2 cups)
- 2 ripe Fuyu persimmons, 8 ounces / 225 g (see Note below)
- 1 cup / 8 ounces / 225 g plain yogurt, possibly organic, creamy in texture and without additives
- A pinch of vanilla sea salt, or fine sea salt
- A pinch of fresh orange zest (from an organic orange)
- A smidgen of ground cloves
- A smidgen of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml fluid honey
- 2 tablespoons chopped lightly toasted pecans
Instructions
Note: Fuyu is a non-astringent variety of persimmon: it can be eaten when firm or it may be left to ripen (and soften). For this recipe, at least one of the persimmons must be ripe and soft, so its pulp can be puréed. The other persimmon can be firmer. Depending on what is available in your area, you may try to use another non-astringent variety of persimmon.
Wash the persimmons, halve them, pull away the flower-shaped stem (calyx) and halve each half. Use the knife to remove the core and any seeds. Choose the ripest one, peel it, trying to remove as little pulp as possible, then chop it. Coarsely purée in a blender, then transfer to a bowl.
Peel the other persimmon, trying to remove as little pulp as possible, then dice it. Set aside.
Add the yogurt to the bowl with the puréed persimmon and stir. Sprinkle salt and spices and fold them in. Drizzle honey and fold it in.
Fold in the reserved persimmon slices and half the pecans, then sprinkle the rest on the surface. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed. Take the bowl out of the refrigerator ahead of time so the raita is not too cold. Fold in the surface pecans before serving.
