It is simple to make and a great Indian side dish made with fresh cucumber, yogurt, herb, and spices. To give a yummy twist, I have added Tadka (tempering) at the end. It comes together in just 10 minutes. Indian cooking involves an assortment of complex flavors—from sweet chutneys to spicy curries. Foods are always paired with their contrasting flavors in Indian cuisine. Plus an Indian meal is incomplete without yogurt. Yogurt condiment aids the cooling factor to balance the heat from the spicy food. To balance out the spicy food, a Most Indian meal is served with Raita.
What is Raita?
Raita is a traditional yogurt-based condiment from India. Salted yogurt (dahi) is mixed with herbs and spices. The raita recipes are made with fruits or vegetables or sometimes a mix of both. Raita is served cold and is often paired with spicy foods. If you ask me to describe the Raita, it would be REFRESHING! Raita also helps in cooling the palate after a meal. It also aids in the digestive process. In India, we have a variety of raita recipes. You can make raita with cucumber, onions, tomatoes, pineapple, boondi, okra (Bhindi), or even with a bottle gourd. Raita is an integral part of our (Indian) meals. It pairs perfectly with Indian curries and biryanis! So let’s learn to make cucumber raita today. Cucumber raita is made with fresh cucumber, yogurt(dahi), mint, and a couple of spices. In Hindi, cucumber raita is called ‘Kheera raita‘ or ‘Kheere ka raita‘- where the words kheera or kheere refer to cucumber. It is super quick, easy, and a perfect accompaniment to most Indian dishes. It was one of the most common raitas that I grew up eating. Especially during summers when cucumbers were in season, we had a bowl full of this every day. This raita can be made ahead of time and is best served chilled. The measurement for preparing Indian raita is simple. For every 2 cups of yogurt, I would like to add 1 portion of vegetables. This proportion gives us a nice consistency of yogurt and the added ingredients. There are two ways the cucumber raita can be made.
- One method (which I have shared here) squeezes the grated cucumber of its juice before being added to yogurt. Don’t through the cucumber juice. You can add it to making dal, curries, soups, and juice, or can add it to making chapatti, roti, or paratha dough. Or you can simply drink that just with a little salt added to it.
- In the second method chopped cucumbers are added to yogurt. When you chop the cucumber, fewer juices are released and your raita does not become thin or watery. Hence you don’t need to squeeze out the juice. You can choose any method that you prefer when making cucumber raita.
Ingredients required
Cucumber: Choose the ones that are crunchier and less watery. Plus, choose the ones that have very less seeds in them. My personal favorites are English cucumber and Persian cucumber to make this cucumber raita. Avoid using the ones that have mature seeds. If so, you can scoop out and discard the seeds before grating. If you prefer, you can also dice the cucumber to add to this raita instead of grating them.Curd / plain yogurt / Dahi: Use fresh and less sour plain yogurt. I always use homemade yogurt to make this cucumber raita.Mint leaves: It adds a super refreshing flavor. Instead, you can use cilantro as well.Black salt (Kala namak): It adds a unique zing and refreshing flavors to the raita.Roasted cumin powder: This is the must-add spice powder for any raita. It adds a nice flavor to the dish as well as helps in easy digestion.Tempering: To give a delicious twist to the raita, I have added tempering. You can completely skip this step. To make the tempering, I have used oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilies, and hing. Green chilies are optional. You can add, and take it out before serving.I did not add sugar, but you can also add sugar to the raita, especially if the yogurt is too sour.
Step-by-step process
In a bowl, take yogurt and whisk well. Keep it aside.Take the cucumber and peel the skin. Now take a grater and grate it.Note – Check the taste of the cucumber before grating. If it has a bitter or sour taste, then do not use it.Squeeze out excess moisture from grated cucumbers and keep it aside.
In another bowl, take yogurt, grated cucumber, mint, black salt, and roasted cumin powder. Mix them very well. Keep it aside.
Tempering (Optional)
Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal. Saute it until light golden brown.Now add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add hing, curry leaves, and green chilies.Stir it and switch off the flame. Add this tempering into Raita. Mix well.
Cucumber Raita is ready. Serve this with Biryani, Pulao, or with Roti-Sabzi.
Variations
Raitas are considered to be a versatile Indian side dish. You can customize it as you want.You can add grated carrots, chopped red onion, bell pepper, or tomatoes to this cucumber raita.Instead of grating cucumber, you can add diced cucumber as well.You can also add some grated ginger.
Serving Ideas
This cucumber raita is perfect for biryani, pulao, or any rice dish. This can be served as a side with your Indian meal (that consists of dal, rice, roti, sabzi, or curry). It can be used as a dipping side for your paratha or thepla.
The curd or yogurt should not be sour.If you are using greek yogurt, dilute it by adding a little bit of water before making raita.You can add cilantro too.Always use chilled yogurt to make raita as it tastes best when served chilled.If your curd is a little sour then add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavor. We don’t want sweet raita so just add enough to balance the sourness.Roasted ground cumin adds a unique flavor. So don’t skip them. You can make roasted cumin powder at home or look in Indian grocery stores or online.To make perfect kheera raita, the very important point to keep in mind is to squeeze out all the excess water from the grated cucumber before adding it to the curd. This prevents your raita from becoming too runny and gives you the perfect texture each time.
More Indian side dish recipes
Kanda Keri Nu KachumberJeera ricePapaya No SambharoTindora no sambharo
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