Traditional Indian Cucumber Raita

Name: Raita
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 cups of chilled plain yogurt; 1/2 teaspoon of seeds cumin; 1/2 teaspoon of seeds cilantro (coriander); 1 dried red chilli; 2 finely chopped cucumber; 1 tablespoon of seeds pomegranate; 1 chopped green pepper; 1 finely chopped medium-size tomato; 1 finely chopped small onion; 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon of rock salt; 3-4 fresh mint

Are you one of those who assume preparing a dish requires tons of effort and time? If yes, then my friend, Cucumber Raita, the most easy and delightful Indian delicacy is gonna wipe out your intuition.

Indian Cuisine

August 18, 2021

Difficulty Easy

Servings 6 people

Preparation 15 mins

Cooking 0 mins

Total 15 mins

Recipe Contents

Ingredients Directions Nutrition Equipments Tips

Ingredients

3 cups of chilled plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon of seeds cumin
1/2 teaspoon of seeds cilantro (coriander)
1 dried red chilli
2 finely chopped cucumber
1 tablespoon of seeds pomegranate
1 chopped green pepper
1 finely chopped medium-size tomato
1 finely chopped small onion
1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of rock salt
3-4 fresh mint

Directions

First, Take the chopped onion and green chili in a small bowl and add the lemon juice to it. Now keep it aside for 2-3 minutes. Thus the strong flavor of onion will be neutralized, and you will get a nice smooth texture.
At the same time, set a nonstick pan over medium heat and add the spices(coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and red chili). Roast them for 30 seconds. Then take the spices out into a mortar and ground it properly with the help of a heavy pestle.
Now take the plain yogurt into a big bowl and add ground spices, rock salt, and sugar (optional) in it and whisk until you get a smooth blend.
Then add the chopped cucumber, pomegranate seeds, chopped tomato, and the marinated onion and green chili into the yogurt and mix It well.
At last, add a handful of chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves to enhance the flavor. And, now it's ready to serve.
Try to refrigerate The Raita for at least 20 minutes and mix it every time before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Raita

Serves 6

Amount Per Serving

Calories95

% Daily Value*

Cholesterol 15 mg5%

Sodium 450 mg19.6%

Potassium 340 mg7.2%

Protein 5 g10%

Total Fat 3 g3.8%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Tips

While preparing Raita it's very important to be particular about the portion of ingredients. Here if you are using 2 cups of plain yogurt then use only one cup of finely chopped fruits and vegetables to make a perfect Raita.
You can prepare Raita at any time and simply refrigerate it for 10-12 hours. But, always cover the container with a lead while chilling it.
Try to avoid cucumbers that have big seeds.
Always taste the cucumber before use, if it's sour or bitter, then avoid using that cucumber, as it may spoil the entire taste.
Ground the spices properly so that they can mix well with the yogurt and other ingredients.
If you are using Indian cucumber, then peel it properly as it has thick skin.
Try to use rock salt instead of the normal white one to make it yummier.
If you are going to serve the Raita maybe 2 hours later, then add the fresh coriander leaves while serving to retain its refreshing flavor.

Rate This Recipe

There are very few dishes like Indian Raita that are easy to make but their taste, texture, and flavor are enough to surprise the foodies. Raita is a healthy Indian condiment or dip or sauce, which is popular for its creamy texture and rejuvenating taste.

You can prepare a simply fabulous Cucumber Raita in just within 5 minutes and serve it with Biryani or Pulao. From savory to sweet or from spicy to plain, Raita always offers you to be more creative and unique with your recipe. However, here we will comprehend how to make flavourful Cucumber Raita with a special pinch of yumminess.

Equipment for this recipe

Cutting Board

Chef Knife

Bowl

Wooden Spoon

What is Raita?

From the north to the south, Raita is a unanimously popular Indian condiment. This is more like a delicious dip or sauce, which is easy to prepare and refreshing, and cooling to the palate.

This popular Indian side dish is made of yogurt or curd, mixed with fruits and vegetables like cucumber, pomegranate seeds, and different kinds of herbs and spices. Though we can prepare it in a thousand different ways with a regional touch of exotic herbs and spices, the most popular amongst them is the Cucumber Raita.

Raita is a traditional North Indian dish which they usually serve at night because it's easy to assimilate. Though Raita is very popular throughout India, in different regions, people eat it in different ways. As you can observe, North Indian people like to take it as a side dish with Biryani or some other Indian vegetarian meal, but in South India, they eat it as a main course with white rice, at the end of their meal.

There is no particular information regarding the origin of Indian Raita but the 'Raita', a term that originated from the Hindi language, was first printed in the 19th century. In south India, they called it 'Pachadi'.

Raita is made of yogurt together with raw or cooked vegetables, fruits, and herbs or spices. Mostly while making Raita we use fruits and veggies with high water retention. There are different types of Raita, like Cucumber Raita, Bottle Gourd Raita, Pineapple Raita, Onion Raita, and many more.

How To Make Raita for Biryani?

For most Indian folk, Raita is like a non-negotiable side dish for Biryani, especially in north India. For making this, all you have to do is, just mix curd with chopped fruits and vegetables in a 2:1 ratio. So if you are taking 2 cups of yogurt then add 1 cup of chopped cucumber, onion, pomegranate seeds, or any other fruits and veggies of your choice in it. Then, add a few spices like roasted cumin and coriander powder, along with some herbs like coriander leaves or mint leaves. Now add salt and sugar as per your necessity and mix all the ingredients properly. And the Raita is ready to serve with Biryani.

Can You Make Raita with Greek Yogurt?

No, Greek Yogurt is what we call the 'Hung card' in India, but in Raita we use plain curd. Greek yogurt is used to make Tzatziki. The preparation process is also quite similar to Raita but has a different flavor. Also, Tzatziki's density is thick, on the other hand, Raita has a more liquidy consistency. But, if Greek yogurt is the only available choice for you then add ¼ cup of water in 3 cups of Greek yogurt to dilute it and then use it to make Raita.

What To Serve With Raita?

Raita goes well with different types of spicy Biryani and Pulao. We can also serve this with Dal Makhani, Jeera Rice, Chana Masala, Chicken Murgh masala, Bombay Potatoes, Mixed fried rice, and many more veg or non-veg dishes.

Here are some of our delicious recipes that you can serve with Raita:

How To Store Raita?

You can easily store it for 10-12 hours in the refrigerator. Just take it out in a container and put the lid tightly. Just mix it thoroughly before serving.

Variations For Raita

Fruit Raita: In this type of raita, you can add any of your favorite fruits and seasonal fruits. Diced apples, grapes, pomegranates, and bananas go well with the taste. These fruits also give a natural sweetness to your raita, and you can have it as a healthy dessert.

Pink Raita: This raita seems very appealing because of its color, but wait, we are not using any harmful colors. To make pink raita, add crushed beetroot, and pomegranates to give it a pink-fruity color. To make it more amazing you can chia seeds and cashews.

Salad Raita: In this type of raita, you can add all those things that you can have as a salad. This has crunchiness in every bite, as the ingredients for these are cucumber, onion, tomatoes, and finely chopped cabbage. This is high in fiber and low in calories.

Recipe byPetite Gourmets