Cucumber raita is a classic Indian condiment made with just 6 ingredients. It is a versatile dish that goes well with pretty much anything as an accompaniment, dip and side dish.
This refreshing and cooling Indian raita is as easy and simple as combining a handful of ingredients with yogurt. Nothing could be easier than this simple Indian cucumber yogurt sauce. All you need is a bowl, a few ingredients and just 5 minutes of your time! This delicious Indian yogurt dip pairs well with pretty much anything and is a great accompaniment to an Indian meal. It is great on its own as well and is an ideal way to indulge between meals or while waiting for the main meal when you prefer something light and quick to prepare with less time and effort.
This homemade raita is great to have as a side dish with a spicy curry such as my vegetable chettinad to counteract the spiciness, as a dip with fried starters such as my vegetable pakora and bread vada. It is the most preferred accompaniment with pulao and biryani.
Planning for a curry night? add this simple cucumber raita and take the Indian meal up a notch. Lazy to cook elaborate meals on weekdays? Perk up a simple meal such as dal-rice or rasam-rice with a bowl of this traditional Indian raita and pickle.
Planning to make this Indian yogurt sauce a part of the meal plan? Store chopped vegetables and herbs in the fridge. Just combine them with yogurt, salt and spices. That’s it! a bowl of deliciousness is ready in less than 5 minutes!
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Ingredients
- Yogurt: I've used store-bought natural yogurt. Feel free to use homemade yogurt but ensure it's not too sour.
- Spices: Roasted cumin powder adds a fabulous earthy flavour to this homemade raita and salt to taste.
- Vegetables & Herbs: I have used English cucumber. However, feel free to use any variety but ensure to remove seeds. Fresh coriander adds a lovely flavour and green chilli pepper adds a spicy kick.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Place the yogurt in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Now add the cucumber, chillies, cumin powder and salt to a bowl.
Stir until well combined.
Check the salt and spices and add more if necessary.
Finally, add the coriander(cilantro) and mix well.
Enjoy this delicious and easy Indian yogurt dip as a condiment with a meal or with appetisers.
Substitutions
Green chilli peppers could be substituted with red chilli powder or jalapenos.
Variations
Red onion and tomato make a lovely addition.
If you don’t like fresh coriander just leave it out or use mint instead. It would be refreshing mint raita!
Transform it to vegetable raita by adding varieties of vegetables - bell peppers, carrot, onion, tomato.
A pinch of chat masala adds a punch to raita. It is easily available in most Indian or South Asian grocery stores.
Tips and Tricks
It doesn’t matter whether you use homemade or store-bought yogurt but ensure it is fresh and well within its expiry date.
Use roasted cumin powder for a lovely flavour.
Ensure yogurt is not too sour. However, if you want to use low-fat yogurt just add a pinch of sugar to reduce the sourness.
If you use Greek yogurt, first add a little water to dilute it and then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
For low calorie raita use low fat yogurt.
If you intend to serve this Indian raita later then keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Remember to remove the seeds from the cucumber as it has excess water content which could thin the yogurt out. Removing the seeds at least reduces water content to some extent.
Storage
Store the leftover raita in an airtight container in the fridge and consume it within a day or two. Sometimes water separates that doesn’t mean the yogurt has split. The excess water is due to the moisture released from cucumber. Just stir in to combine.
I wouldn’t recommend storing this yogurt cucumber dip in the freezer as cucumber and yogurt don't freeze well.
Serving Suggestions
This easy raita is best paired with a spicy dish such as my paneer jalfrezi, kadai paneer to neutralise the spiciness.
It is a great accompaniment with biryani and flavoured rice dishes - mint pulao, vegetable masala rice, methi pulao or tomato bath.
For a weeknight comfort meal, serve this simple cucumber raita with dal khichdi.
Serve it as a dip with appetisers.
Great as a dipping sauce for chickpea veggie patties and sweet potato patties.
More Indian Condiment Recipes
Eggplant Chutney (Vankaya Pacchadi)
📖 Recipe Card
Cucumber Raita Recipe
Video
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 275 gms (or) 1 cup Natural Yogurt
- 96 gms (or) ¾ cup Cucumber deseeded and diced
- Salt as required
- 1-2 Green Chillies chopped (adjust to taste)
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin Powder
- Coriander handful
Instructions
- Place the yogurt in a bowl and whisk until smooth.275 gms (or) 1 cup Natural Yogurt
- Now add the cucumber, chillies, cumin powder and salt to a bowl.96 gms (or) ¾ cup Cucumber, Salt, 1-2 Green Chillies, ½ Teaspoon Cumin Powder
- Stir until well combined.
- Check the salt and spices and add more if necessary.
- Finally, add the coriander(cilantro) and mix well.Coriander
- Enjoy this delicious and easy Indian yogurt dip as a condiment with a meal or with appetisers.
Notes
Nutrition
Related Recipes
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Do let me know if you make this simple homemade Indian cucumber raita. I love hearing from you all. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online.
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