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    Home » Recipes » Indian

    Raita

    Published: Sep 20, 2022

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    Cucumber raita is a tasty Indian condiment, served alongside a variety of dishes. Made of yogurt, it's the perfect accent for spicy food!

    A bowl of cucumber raita in front of a plate of pakoras.

    I’ve been on a pakora posting binge over on my gluten free blog - Beyond Flour.

    We’ve always loved Indian cuisine, and I’ve shared some of my recipes for our favorite Indian dishes here over the past decade or so - Chicken Shahi Korma and Cilantro Chicken being my absolute favorite Indian meals of all time..

    Possibly the best part about Indian food is how friendly it can be for dietary restrictions. Naan aside, I can walk into pretty much any Indian restaurant and be able to find something gluten free.

    My husband can’t eat most meats, and he’s able to find all kinds of tasty main dishes when we go out. Indian cuisine is full of fabulous vegetarian recipes, after all!

    Anyway, that allergy-friendly property leads to us not only ordering it regularly, but also making some of our favorite Indiann dishes at home.

    As part of that big pakora binge lately, I made a batch of my cucumber raita recipe.

    We like having several dips available - cilantro-mint chutney and tamarind chutney as well - and a bowl of this yogurt-based condiment was a great addition to our spread!

    ... so I figured it’s time to share my easy raita recipe!

    What is Raita?

    Raita is a category of side dishes that are generally served alongside spicy Indian dishes.

    It’s an Indian yogurt condiment that’s intended to provide a cooling effect to those spicy foods, usually served up in a small bowl alongside your meal.

    There are various regional varieties of raita - and other variations of cooling sauce.

    You can get onion raita, boondi raita (A yogurt sauce with tiny chickpea dough balls in it), dahi chutney (kind of a halfway point between raita and cilantro chutney).

    There’s even vegetable raita, a yogurt sauce made with a variety of vegetables - bell peppers, tomato, etc. Super tasty!

    This recipe is for a cucumber mint raita - the one I MOST often end up receiving with spicy dishes I order in restaurants.

    It’s somewhat like Tzatziki Sauce, though thinner and with a slightly different flavour profile.

    This recipe works up in about 5 minutes, so it’s a great recipe when you’re looking to add a little something to easy dinners, like spicy kebabs.

    Let’s get to it...

    A bowl of cucumber raita in front of a plate of pakoras.

    Ingredients

    This is a simple recipe - you should definitely be able to find all of the ingredients in any grocery store.

    I do have some notes for you, though!

    Plain Yogurt

    Yogurt is the main ingredient here, and is the base of the sauce.

    We’ll usually use Greek yogurt, but you can use any unsweetened, unflavored variety. It is a savory yogurt sauce, after all!

    In general, I prefer a full-fat yogurt / whole-milk yogurt, as they tend to have a better texture. I find they have a better texture - especially when mixed with the cucumbers - than lower fat varieties, which tend to be a little thinner.

    In a pinch, you can substitute sour cream. I won’t tell anyone!

    Cucumber

    Generally speaking, I tend to use English cucumber for this. You can use field cucumbers for this, but you’ll want to get the seeds out first.

    You can peel the skin off before shredding it if you like, we generally don’t bother.

    Herbs, Spices, Etc

    My raita is a SUPER basic recipe, flavoured with just chopped coriander leaves (fresh cilantro), fresh mint leaves, lime juice, Cumin Powder, Garam Masala, salt, and pepper.

    That said, feel free to dress it up if you like!

    Sometimes I’ll use Coriander Powder in place of the cumin.

    That said, Whole Cumin Seeds are a fun option, and add a bit of crunch.

    Sometimes I’ll toss a couple pressed garlic cloves in the mix.

    A bowl of cucumber raita in front of a plate of pakoras.

    Equipment

    All you really need - aside from measuring cups, a bowl, etc - is something to grate the cucumber with.

    You don’t need anything fancy, but I’m going to drop a RAVING recommendation for the KitchenAid Gourmet 4-Sided Stainless Steel Box Grater - I got myself one a while back, I’m OBSESSED with it.

    It’s sharp and sturdy, and I never had any idea a grater could make SUCH a difference. 10/10, totally believe that everyone should have one!

    A close up view of a bowl of raita.

    How to Make Raita

    The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is a pictorial walk through, with additional tips.

    Peel your cucumber if you like, then grate it.

    Sometimes I’ll use the large side of the grater for a more chunky textured dip, other times I’ll use the fine grate, for a smoother dip.
    Either works!

    A 2 part image showing a cucumber being shredded.

    Squeeze excess moisture from the grated cucumber, place squeezed cucumber in a medium bowl.

    A hand squeezes excess liquid from shredded cucumber.

    Add remaining ingredients to the bowl, stir well to combine.

    A 2 part image showing the ingredients being mixed together.

    Transfer to an airtight container - or cover with plastic wrap - and chill until use.

    Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or so.

    A bowl of cucumber raita in front of a plate of pakoras.

    More Indian Recipes....

    Love Indian food? Be sure to check out these other fabulous Indian - and Indian inspired - recipes!

    Aloo Pakora
    Butter Chicken Recipe
    Chicken Pakora
    Chicken Shahi Korma Recipe
    Cilantro Chicken Recipe
    Corn Pakora
    Gobi Pakora
    Mango Lassi Popsicles Recipe
    Mixed Vegetable Pakoras
    Mushroom Pakora
    Onion Pakora
    Palak Pakoda
    Paneer Burgers Recipe
    Paneer Pakora
    Samosa Recipe
    Tandoori Spiced Chicken Burger with Mango Recipe

    Specialty Diet Versions

    Looking for gluten-free and/or low carb Indian recipes*? Here are a few from my other blogs:

    Gluten-Free Samosas
    Keto Chicken Biryani
    Low Carb Butter Chicken
    Keto Chicken Korma
    Low Carb Shrimp Curry

    * Note: A lot of the above recipes are inherently gluten free, so not included in the “specialty diet” section.

    A bowl of cucumber raita in front of a plate of pakoras.

    Share the Love!

    Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

    Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

    Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and/or a comment below, and maybe even sharing this post on social media!

    A close up view of a bowl of raita.

    A bowl of cucumber raita in front of a plate of pakoras.
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    5 from 1 vote

    Cucumber Raita

    Cucumber raita is a tasty Indian condiment, served alongside a variety of dishes. Made of yogurt, it's the perfect accent for spicy food!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Servings: 6 Servings (1 ½ cups)
    Calories: 30kcal
    Author: Marie Porter

    Equipment

    Medium bowl

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Plain yogurt
    • ⅔ cup Shredded cucumber
    • ¼ cup finely chopped Cilantro
    • 2 tablespoon finely chopped Fresh mint
    • Juice of ½ Lime
    • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon Garam masala
    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine.
    • Transfer to an airtight container - or cover with plastic wrap - and chill until use.
    • Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or so.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 0.2mg

    A close up view of a bowl of raita.

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    Marie Porter


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