Refreshing and cooling with mint and cucumber, it can be mixed up in minutes. Perfect for balancing the hottest Indian dishes.
Cucumber Raita
No Indian meal would be complete without a selection of simple side dishes. It is something that is easy to forget at home, but the little touches really make a meal special.
Most Indian restaurants in the UK will bring you raita, pickles and an onion and tomato salad with poppadoms at the start of the meal.
We love grazing on these while we choose what to eat. It’s the little things that make a meal special, and I’ll usually make a dish of raita whenever I make (or order in) a curry.
At its simplest, raita (pronounced rye-ta) is a dish of yogurt with a touch of spice or herbs, but it can have any number of vegetables (even fruit) or other ingredients stirred into it. There are as many variations as there are cooks!
It is also delicious drizzled over tandoori dishes, with dry and deep fried nibbles such as pakoras, samosas and chaat, or on rice dishes, such as a biryani.
Cucumber raita is a cooling dish. The fat in the yogurt will dissolve the hot capsaicin from a dish filled with chilli and cool your palate. (Capsaicin will also dissolve in alcohol, which is why a gulp of beer is far more effective than water when a curry turns out to be hotter than you expected.)
My raita recipe is perfect to serve with a curry, or as a dip with poppadoms or tortilla chips, or as in the picture below with pilau rice and chickpea curry.
What is the difference between raita and tzatziki?
While both these dips are yogurt based and made with cucumber, there are some key differences:
- Tzatziki is far thicker and made with Greek yogurt, which is thicker and creamier than the natural yogurt or dahi used in recipes for raita.
- Tzatziki will often have garlic and Mediterranean herbs such as oregano or thyme added. It is frequently served with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Raita is far thinner, and will sometimes be sweetened.
What are the Ingredients for Raita?
Plain yogurt – I use a full fat yogurt because you need the fat to dissolve the hot capsaicin for the full cooling effect.
Cucumber – coarsely grated
Mint – ordinary fresh garden mint
Salt – a pinch of salt will bring out the flavour of the cucumber and the yogurt
Optional
Spices – you can add a little cumin or chilli
Raita Recipe Step-by-Step
First, gather your ingredients.
Step one – Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Then use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds, which should be discarded. If you want, you can also peel the cucumber, but I like to see the green colour in the raita.
Step two – Coarsely grate the cucumber.
Step three – Give the cucumber a squeeze to get rid of the liquid. You can do this in your hands, or wrap it in a muslin cloth.
If your yogurt is thin, give the cucumber more of a squeeze; with a thicker yogurt you should be a bit more gentle. You want your raita to be runny, but not liquid.
Step four – Strip the mint leaves from the stalks. Reserve a few leaves for garnish and finely chop the rest.
Step five – Mix everything together. Check the seasoning and add a little more salt if needed. Ideally, allow stand for at least 20 minutes to let all the favours develop and mingle.
Homemade Raita Recipe: Hints, Tips & Variations
- Make the raita at least 20 minutes (ideally 2–3 hours) in advance if you can. It will keep covered in the fridge for 2–3 days. Give it a good stir before serving, as the salt will draw more liquid from the cucumber.
- I do not recommend freezing. Both the cucumber and yogurt will lose all their texture, and split. Instead, use leftover cucumber raita as a dip with flat breads or as a dressing on a herb salad.
- Vary the herbs. With a rich, complex curry, I like a simple side dish. The mix of yogurt, cucumber and mint is usually enough for my taste buds, but I also like swapping the mint for fresh coriander (cilantro leaves).
- Add a touch of spice. A pinch of cumin is a popular addition. I like to use cumin seeds, lightly toasted in a mini frying pan and freshly ground. Of course, ground cumin from a jar is also fine.
Onion Raita
- Make the raita as above but add about a tablespoon of finely chopped onion or a few chopped spring onions.
Hot Raita
- Add finely chopped green chilli to taste (discard the membranes and seeds for less heat).
Leftovers?
If you have any leftover raita serve as a dip with homemade tortilla chips, crudities or melba toast.
Easy Homemade Raita
Ingredients
- ½ cucumber
- 1 cup natural yogurt (240b, full fat)
- 1 tbsp fresh mint
- pinch salt
Optional
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)
- ½ hot green chilli (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard. If you want to, you can also peel the cucumber.
- Grate the cucumber.
- Give the grated cucumber a gentle squeeze, either in your hands, or by wrapping in a muslin cloth.
- Strip the mint leaves from the stalks, reserving a few for garnish, and finely chop.
- Mix the grated cucumber, mint, yogurt and salt together. Allow to stand for at least 20 minutes, 2–3 hours if possible.
- Stir, garnish with the reserved mint leaves and serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Make the raita at least 20 minutes (ideally 2–3 hours) in advance if you can. It will keep covered in the fridge for 2–3 days. Give it a good stir before serving, as the salt will draw more liquid from the cucumber.
- I do not recommend freezing. Both the cucumber and yogurt will lose all their texture, and split. Instead, use leftover cucumber raita as a dip with flat breads or as a dressing on a herb salad.
- Vary the herbs. With a rich, complex curry, I like a simple side dish. The mix of yogurt, cucumber and mint is usually enough for my taste buds, but I also like swapping the mint for fresh coriander (cilantro leaves).
- Add a touch of spice. A pinch of cumin is a popular addition. I like to use cumin seeds, lightly toasted in a mini frying pan and freshly ground. Of course, ground cumin from a jar is also fine.
- This recipe is 2 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion
Video
connie
Raita is a great addition to an Indian meal, and so easy to make. I had never thought of squeezing the cucumber, thank you, it is much better without all that extra liquid.
Nicole L
Love this recipe, so simple and yet delicious. Good just to dip some flat breads in.
Gail Matthews
I like a spicy curry, but always opt to eat raita with it. Really just calms things down a little. Great to make your own from scratch, delicious and fresh.
Carly Matthews.
Raita is just the thing for homemade samosa and bhaji, and so easy to make. I made mine with a little onion, and it was perfect.
Kelsey Wright
This is a lovely cooling side dish to have with spicy food. Great tips in getting it right too.
zoe tait
I’m not a fan of really hot curry, and find that having either raita or mango chutney can really help. Nice to be able to make my own, it is so easy.
Suki Kaur
Raita is a great addition to all kinds of spicy foods, a good way to smooth the palette. This is an easy to make recipe and lovely results.
Jamie Longbone
This is so refreshing, with the beautiful fresh mint and the cucumber. It goes perfectly with a hot curry, and great for dipping Indian snacks in.
Melissa
Great simple dip, it is so good with spicy snacks. It also makes a great salad dressing.
Lyndell
Often make this to go with our Indian meals, it really helps takes the edge off spice. I’m a bit of a lightweight with hot food.