Easy Raita Recipe with Cucumber - the perfect side for an Indian meal (2024)

Published on November 12, 2020 by Helen Best-Shaw 10 Comments
Last Updated on July 25, 2021

This simple raita recipe for the classic Indian yogurt sauce is the perfect complement to starters, street food and curries.

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.