🥒 Cucumber Raita
Raita is a cool yogurt side dish from the Indian subcontinent, here made with grated cucumber, toasted cumin, fresh mint and a pinch of salt. It is creamy, mildly tangy and refreshing, and it is served chilled next to biryani, curries, kebabs and spicy rice dishes to soften their heat.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g plain yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber (about 200 g)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 8–10 fresh mint leaves
- ½ tsp salt
Method
- Grate the cucumber, squeeze out excess water and place it in a bowl.
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan for 1 minute until fragrant, then crush them lightly.
- Whisk the yogurt until smooth and stir in the cucumber, salt and most of the cumin.
- Chop the mint, fold it in and sprinkle the remaining cumin on top.
- Chill for 15 minutes and serve cold.
How to make it lighter
- Use low-fat or skimmed yogurt to cut calories while keeping the creamy texture.
- Add more cucumber relative to yogurt for a lighter, larger portion.
- Use raita instead of creamy dressings or sauces with grilled meat and rice.
History
Yogurt-based sides have long been part of meals across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and raita appears in many regional versions with cucumber, onion, tomato or boondi. Today it is a standard accompaniment in South Asian homes and restaurants worldwide.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →