What's the best way to enjoy the undressed green salad that comes with Indian meals? Why isn't it dressed?!

Most of the salad served with Indian breads is undressed. Traditionally, the salad would just consist of raw onions, chili peppers and a wedge of lime. This is to create an interesting texture with the dry roti and the curry. The onions bring crunch while the peppers, some heat. The bland old yogurt you mention is "raita"(pronounced "raw-ee-tuh". It is not meant to be a soup or a starter.

You are supposed to eat it in spoonfuls along with your meal or at the end of your meal. Reason - the yogurt helps in digestion and cooling your system after the spicy ordeal. No Indian meal is complete without yogurt.

As for half the plate taken up by the undressed salad, it is either to mostly please the western crowd that has an appetite for salads or to simply put it, the owner is easily overpricing the food by filling half the plate with salad. It is not traditional for Indian meals to have half a plate of salad!

I am Indian

Ok, so here's the deal...the salad is supposed to be "undressed". The reason being ultimately has to do with "Aryuveda: the Science of Life" or the 5 basic principles that traditional Indian food is prepared in accordance. The cooling blandness of the undressed salad and the yogurt is offered to balance out the spicy nature of other dishes that might incorporate the use of ingredients such as:
Examples:
Peppers: green, red or black
Curry (and it's varying degrees of heat)
Lime Pickle ( a very strongly flavored condiment)

Yes, you can use the yogurt on the salad greens as a dressing if you choose. Another way to add counterpoint to spicy foods is by drinking "Lassi" (a traditional yogurt based Indian beverage). They usually serve plain which is slightly sweet or Mango (my fav!).

I'm a personal chef. I love Indian food too.

In the Northeast Indian restaurants generally don't serve salad. My guess is that the yogurt soup might be the dressing or at least would not make a bad dressing.