Plain yogurt combined with Indian spices and freshly chopped cucumber and mint, makes for the most perfect cucumber raita, ideal for your Indian meal. We’ve been making our raita recipe for years now, and we think we’ve got the spice blend just right – spicy yet soothing, all in one!
Why you’ll love our cucumber raita recipe
- The flavors are awesome and SO much better than store-bought.
- Ready in just 5 minutes, it’s simple, quick, and easy to make.
- It’s an important Indian side dish for any meal.
- We’re pleased to say it’s 100% vegetarian.
Once you make your own raita at home, you’ll never want to buy one again, the way that you can perfect the spices and flavor profile to suit you is just priceless.
What is raita?
Essentially raita is an Indian side condiment that’s made from whisked yogurt and contains different spices and fresh herbs.
It’s usually eaten to counteract the heat from spicy foods and cooked vegetables.
As with Indian cuisine, you’ll find so many variations of raita recipes, for example, vegetable raita or our boondi raita, and bhindi raita recipes are completely different from our cucumber raita.
What do you serve it with?
Our cucumber raita is the perfect condiment served with so many different Indian dishes.
It’s delicious when served with poppadoms and flatbread such as roti, chapati, and naan bread along with an Indian red onion salad, boondi raita, or a dahi chutney.
Perfect served with curries such as a vegetable bhuna, paneer jalfrezi, or vindaloo.
Serve raita together with aloo gobi, saag aloo, jeera aloo, or aloo palak, and it becomes part of a delicious Indian thali, which is an assortment of delicious Indian dishes for you to try.
Do you have to peel cucumber for raita?
No, you don’t need to peel the cucumber when making raita, it’s a personal preference.
We don’t peel them when we make raita, but if you prefer it without the skin, then go ahead and peel them.
Do you chop or grate cucumber when making raita?
It’s a personal preference whether you choose to chop or grate the cucumber.
We prefer a chunky cucumber and mint raita, so we chop it, but many people prefer grated cucumber, so the choice is totally yours.
What’s the difference between raita and tzatziki?
The difference is mainly in the yogurt.
An Indian raita recipe uses natural yogurt and Greek tzatziki uses Greek yogurt.
Naturally, there are no Indian spices in tzatziki either!
What yogurt is best for making raita with?
We use natural whole milk yogurt as we love the flavor it gives the dish, but you could use low-fat yogurt also.
Greek yogurt would also work, it will make the raita thicker, but don’t let that stop you from making it.
Play with the flavors
Indian food is always evolving, recipes change from family to family, that’s what appeals to us so much about it.
We always encourage you to play with flavors to achieve the perfect raita recipe for you.
Try our recipe first and then next time, swop things around, maybe add green chili or cilantro.
Instead of garnishing your raita with chopped mint, try frying cumin seeds and mustard seeds instead.
How long does raita keep in the fridge?
Raita will keep for up to three days in the fridge when kept covered in an airtight container.
You can even freeze it if you have it leftover, although we prefer to make it fresh as it only takes minutes to make.
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Out of plain yogurt?
Use Greek yogurt instead, it’ll have a thicker consistency but will still work well. - Can’t take the heat?
Omit the Kashmiri chili powder. - Add even more flavor
Use black salt. - Make it vegan
Simply replace the natural yogurt with a plant based alternative.
More raita recipes for you to enjoy
If you like our cucumber raita recipe, you should try these delicious recipes; boondi raita and bhindi raita, and we have more recipes on our website all the time.
How to make raita with step-by-step instructions
Making our cucumber raita recipe is easy if you follow our simple recipe instructions.
Full measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the printable recipe card below.
Chop your English cucumber into small chunks and set aside.
Add plain yogurt to a medium bowl, and whisk until smooth.
Then, add chopped cucumber, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, chaat masala, finely chopped mint leaves, and salt.
Mix thoroughly to combine and garnish with chopped mint, cumin seeds, or chili powder.
Serve and enjoy!
We hope you enjoy making and eating our cucumber raita recipe and would love to hear how you got on with making it.
Please leave a comment below and feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Indian raita recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup Plain yogurt
- 1 cup Cucumber washed and chopped into small chunks
- 3 tsp Cumin powder
- 1½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1½ tsp Chaat masala `
- 3½ tbsp Mint leaves finely chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add plain yogurt to a medium bowl, and whisk until smooth. Then, add chopped cucumber, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, chaat masala, finely chopped mint leaves, and salt2 cup Plain yogurt, 1 cup Cucumber, 3 tsp Cumin powder, 1½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1½ tsp Chaat masala, 3½ tbsp Mint leaves, Salt
- Mix thoroughly to combine and garnish with chopped mint, cumin seeds, or chili powder. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Out of plain yogurt?
Use Greek yogurt instead, it’ll have a thicker consistency but will still work well - Can’t take the heat?
Omit the Kashmiri chili powder - Add even more flavor
Use black salt
Nutrition
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Learn how to make raita with step-by-step photos!
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Jenn says
Made this – loved this! So much better than my usual takeaway place, too! Love the mint in it!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
So pleased you liked it – takeaways will never be the same now will they!
Sherry Ronning says
My mom would make this for us growing up with fresh cucumbers from our garden. I haven’t had it in years! This recipe brings back a lot of memories and tastes just how I remembered! Thanks for the recipe!!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
That’s lovely to think that food can bring back good memories and pleased to hear your raita tasted like your moms!
Liz says
I’d never tried making raita but I love getting it at Indian restaurants! Thanks for the recipe!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
Hope you enjoyed it!
Shelby says
I grated the cucumber for this and served it on top of a curry- came out AMAZING.
Glenda says
Raita was a new dish to our family. I love it when something new becomes a family favorite! Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe!