Cucumber Raita is a creamy, herby dip, with a little hint of spice, that goes perfect with curry and some naan bread to dip into it. The coolness of this dip will really cut through a hot and spicy curry, so it's a great little side dish for a curry night for people that can handle different levels of heat.
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Anyone that has ever ordered a curry that is way more spicier than what they can handle knows that water does not help the situation, it just makes it worse!
It is said that milk is the best solution, but drinking a glass of milk with a curry just seems a bit odd to me!
Instead, have a spoonful of this raita between bites of a super spicy curry and it will really cool the situation down. Made up of yogurt, cucumber, mint and spices, it's really quick and simple to make.
If you are looking for some other ways to use cucumber, then why not try our tasty Cucumber and Radish Salad, creamy Cucumber Dill Salad, easy Cucumber Tomato Salad or our quick Sparkling Cucumber Water?
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Why You Will Love It
- Cooling effect - This yogurt dip is the perfect way to cool a curry down if you have made it a bit too spicy, and it's delicious too.
- Quick and easy - It takes less than 5 minutes to make, and it's so easy.
- Adaptable - Feel free to adjust the flavours. We LOVE mint, so we always put a little bit extra in it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Yogurt - As the yogurt is a big part of this cooling dip, you want to go with a really good quality one. We used full fat, because it just gives so much more flavour, but you could use reduced fat, or fat free if you wanted to. You want to go with a plain yogurt, rather than a thick Greek yogurt, as this isn't tzatziki. If you only have Greek yogurt, then thin it out with a bit of water.
- Cucumber - We used an english cucumber and kept the peel on, as that is where the fibre and vitamin A is and adds some colour too.
- Mint - This is the perfect herb to go with cucumber. Always use fresh. But if you are not a fan then you can swap it for coriander which goes really well with curry. Why not go all out and use half mint and half coriander to mix things up a bit?
- Garlic - Although this is not traditionally added to raita, we love the flavour it adds. Freshly crushed is best. Make sure to crush it finely, almost in to a paste, so there is even distribution in the raita.
- Ginger - This adds a lovely kick of flavour.
- Garam masala - Traditional raita is usually just seasoned with some toasted cumin seeds (and some more served on top), however we went with some garam masala instead, as it still has cumin, but lots of lovely other warming flavours too. Feel free to stick with tradition and just go with cumin though.
- Seasoning - Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Variations
Onion Raita - Add finely diced red onion or shallots.
Vegetable Raita - Add finely chopped tomatoes and/or grated carrot.
How to Make Raita
- Step 1: Coarsely grate all of the cucumber and put in a cheese cloth and squeeze out all the liquid.
- Step 2: Chop the mint, crush the garlic and crate the ginger.
- Step 3: Put the yogurt in a large bowl with the cucumber, mint, garlic, ginger and garam masala.
- Step 4: Mix well.
How to Serve Raita
This is the perfect side dish to any curry. We always serve it with our Slow Cooker Lamb Rogan Josh, Slow Cooker Beef Curry, Chickpea and Spinach Curry and Tomato and Garlic Chicken Curry.
Serve with our Easy Homemade Flatbreads to dip into or you could make Easy Naan Bread or Peshwari Naan.
Storage
Store: This is best made fresh, however if you do have leftovers then you can stir them in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day.
Freeze: We wouldn't recommend freezing it, as when it defrosts it the cucumber gets watery.
Dannii's Top Tips
- To keep it more traditional, swap the garam masala for toasted cumin seeds.
- Don't like mint? You can use fresh coriander (cilantro) instead.
- Give this dip a nutritional boost by swapping the cucumber for shredded courgette.
- If you are making this in advance, add the cucumber at the last minute.
- Use a full fat plain yogurt to make this dip.
- If you don't want to grate your cucumber, you can chop it into small pieces instead. You don't need to squeeze any liquid out if it is diced.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you love tzatziki, then you are going to love this dip which is pretty similar. Both are creamy based dips that are bulked out with cucumber and some mint, but whereas tzatziki has some lemon juice to make it a light and fresh dip, raita has Indian spices to give it lots of hearty flavour.
We grated it rather than cut it, as we like the cucumber to be fine in the raita. However, you can dice it up in to small pieces if you prefer.
You can use vegan yogurt to make this recipe vegan.
You can make some of it in advance, but I wouldn't add the cucumber until the last minute because it would get too watery when left. This is such a quick and easy dip to make, it's best to just make it before you are going to serve it.
More Dip Recipes
If you've tried this creamy raita dip recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cucumber Raita
Ingredients
- 400 g (1.66 cups) of Plain yogurt
- 0.75 Cucumber
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) of Fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon of Garam masala
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 15 g (0.5 oz) of Fresh ginger - grated
- 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Coarsely grate all 0.75 Cucumber and put in a cheese cloth and squeeze out all the liquid.
- Chop 15 g of Fresh mint, crush 2 Garlic clove and grate 15 g of Fresh ginger.
- Put 400 g of Plain yogurt in a large bowl with the cucumber, mint, garlic, ginger, 1 tbsp of Garam masala and 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Mix well.
Recipe Tips
- To keep it more traditional, swap the garam masala for toasted cumin seeds.
- Don't like mint? You can use fresh coriander instead.
- Give this dip a nutritional boost by swapping the cucumber for shredded courgette.
- If you are making this in advance, add the cucumber at the last minute.
- Use a full fat plain yogurt to make this dip.
- If you don't want to grate your cucumber, you can chop it in to small pieces instead. You don't need to squeeze any liquid out if it is diced.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Grace says
I'd never made Raita before but made this to go with your chicken tikka skewers recipe and it went down a treat! Again I made ours with goat yogurt as my husband can't tolerate cows milk and it worked perfectly. Thanks for another gorgeous recipe!
Sara Welch says
What a fun and unique recipe! The perfect amount of kick! Yum!
Michelle says
This looks so fresh and zingy! We love raita, it's such a great accompaniment.
Tonje says
Yum! We make this regularly, and it goes so well with our curries! Absolutely love it!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This raita looks so refreshing!! I'm in love.
Cookilicious says
cucumber raita is an absolute favorite! We make it often at home
Chichi says
I love any recipe with cucumbers in it. This isn’t an exception it’s delicious.
Neha says
I love cucumber raita and yep its healthier version of tzatziki! I like mine with cumin and lots of mint and coriander! Loving your twist.
Jessica Formicola says
I love cucumbers, and this looks amazing! I cannot wait to try this delicious recipe!
Heidy L. McCallum says
I made this following your instructions and it turned out perfect. The entire family loved it and asked me to make another batch for the weekend!
Paula Montenegro says
Wonderfully fresh, I love using mint with cucumbers! Can't wait to try it out next time I make a curry. Thanks for sharing!
Tatiana says
Mmm… That looks soooo good! I seriously have to put this on my meal plan, I’m thinking Saturday dinner. Thank you!!!
Adrianne says
What a great idea to use this to mellow hot curries, I love it! I am going to try it the next time I make a palak paneer. Thanks for sharing!
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
It has such a dreamy color! I love making Greek yogurt dips, I'll try your recipe next time. Thanks for sharing!