Mint Yogurt Dressing
Pourable Jain-friendly mint yogurt dressing with lemon, cumin, and fresh pudina. A mint salad dressing for bowls and crunchy salads, thinner than raita. No onion, no garlic.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup plain yogurt dahi or Greek yogurt; full-fat preferred
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves packed; tough stems removed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh, or lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste
- 1 green chili optional; finely chopped, seeds removed for milder heat
- 1 pinch hing asafoetida; optional
- 1 pinch sugar optional; if lemon is very sharp
- 3 tbsp cold water plus more as needed to thin
Instructions
Prep
- Wash mint and pat dry. Strip leaves from tough stems. Chop finely if whisking, or leave whole for blending.
Whisk method
- Whisk yogurt in a bowl until completely smooth.
- Stir in lemon juice, cumin, salt, optional hing, optional sugar, and chopped green chili.
- Fold in chopped mint. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dressing pours in a ribbon from a spoon.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Chill 10 minutes if you want it colder; stir and thin again if it tightens.
Blender method (optional)
- Blend yogurt, mint, lemon juice, cumin, salt, optional hing, optional chili, and 2 tablespoons water until pale green and pourable. Add more water as needed. Do not over-blend.
Notes
This is a pourable salad dressing, not thick mint raita. Thin until it coats greens instead of sitting in clumps.
Fully Jain as written: no onion or garlic. Omit hing if preferred.
Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Stir before using; add a splash of water if it thickens.
For vegan, use unsweetened plant yogurt and thin carefully.
Pair with Masala Paneer Crunch Salad and other Jain Salads Week bowls once those posts are live; use mint raita for biryani sides instead.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!