Cucumber Raita is a creamy, herby dip, with a little hint of spice, that goes perfect with curry and some naan bread to dip in to 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.
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 Cucumber and Radish Salad, Cucumber Dill Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad or Sparkling Cucumber Water.
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Ingredients needed
- 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 yoghurt, rather than a thick Greek yoghurt, as this isn't tzatziki. If you only have Greek yoghurt, 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 - 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.
Step by step
One: Coarsely grate all of the cucumber and put in a cheese cloth and squeeze out all the liquid.
Two: Chop the mint, crush the garlic and crate the ginger.
Three: Put the yogurt in a large bowl with the cucumber, mint, garlic, ginger and garam masala.
Four: Mix well.
Why you should try it
- Cooling dip - This 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.
Health benefits
Did you also know that cucumber is a good source of vitamins A, B6, C and K, as well as potassium, calcium and magnesium. The peel has fibre in it too, so don't peel it!
What to serve with cucumber 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.
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.
There are 74 calories per portion.
As long as you make sure there is no cross contamination, then this can be gluten free.
You can use vegan yogurt to make this 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.
Extra 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 yoghurt 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.
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Recipe
Cucumber Raita
Ingredients
- 400 g plain yoghurt
- 0.75 cucumber
- 15 g fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 garlic cloves - crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger - grated
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Coarsely grate all of the cucumber and put in a cheese cloth and squeeze out all the liquid.
- Chop the mint, crush the garlic and crate the ginger
- Put the yoghurt in a large bowl with the cucumber, mint, garlic, ginger and garam masala.
- Mix well.
Notes
- 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 yoghurt 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.
Grace
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
What a fun and unique recipe! The perfect amount of kick! Yum!
Michelle
This looks so fresh and zingy! We love raita, it's such a great accompaniment.
Tonje
Yum! We make this regularly, and it goes so well with our curries! Absolutely love it!
SHANIKA
I've never tried this type of dish, but the cucumber sounds like a fresh wave of flavor to add as a dip. YUM!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
This raita looks so refreshing!! I'm in love.
Cookilicious
cucumber raita is an absolute favorite! We make it often at home
Chichi
I love any recipe with cucumbers in it. This isn’t an exception it’s delicious.
Neha
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
I love cucumbers, and this looks amazing! I cannot wait to try this delicious recipe!
Heidy L. McCallum
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!
Jacqueline Meldrum
I've made it before but never added the spices, so that is interesting. I must try it this way. Thanks Dannii.
Shared!
Paula Montenegro
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
Mmm… That looks soooo good! I seriously have to put this on my meal plan, I’m thinking Saturday dinner. Thank you!!!
Adrianne
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
It has such a dreamy color! I love making Greek yogurt dips, I'll try your recipe next time. Thanks for sharing!