serves 4 - 6

1.  Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until smooth and lightened. 

2.  Stir in the grapes, and then the cumin, sugar, and cayenne or paprika.  Heat the oil with the mustard seeds or cumin seeds in a small frying pan or kadai over medium-high heat.   Cook until the cumin darkens or the mustard seeds crackle, 1 to 2 minutes.  (Cover the pan if using mustard seeds; they crackle and pop.)  Add the fennel seeds and curry leaves, if using, and cook uncovered, stirring, 5 to 10 more seconds.  (Stand back if using curry leaves; they spit when they hit the hot oil.)  Pour over the yogurt and chill well.  Just before serving, stir in the salt.

3 cups plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups seedless grapes, halved

2 teaspoons ground, toasted cumin seeds

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika

Tempering Oil

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds, or cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

6 fresh or 10 frozen curry leaves, torn into pieces (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

I recently rediscovered this delightfully unusual raita from Bukhara, a restaurant in Dehli that has the reputation amongst some as being the finest in the world.  I like it best with tiny champagne grapes, if you can find them, but any seedless variety works.  When I have a great deal of leisure, I peel and halve the grapes but neither is necessary.  I particularly love this with a lamb or chicken biriyani.