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I had an email from a reader (sorry, can’t find the email to fetch your name!) a while back requesting that I try to make a raita similar to the one she had at Trader Joe’s. Unfortunately, I’ve never had raita and there isn’t a Trader Joe’s near by where I could get some to try. I looked into the recipe anyway and was intrigued. Raita kind of looks like the Indian version of tzatziki… and I LOVE tzatziki.
So, if you’re unfamiliar, both are a yogurt based sauce used for dipping, putting on flat breads, or whatever else you’d like. They’re creamy, cooling, and tangy. I looked up some recipes for raita and found that there are a million different versions out there. Some with cucumber, some with ginger, some with green onions, some simply with yogurt and a couple of spices . I liked the idea of having both cucumber and ginger to make it extra “cool” on the palate, so I went with that. You can definitely experiment with this and make it your own.
Full fat, strained (or Greek) yogurt is best for this recipe because it makes a nice thick, rich sauce. I happened to have some non-fat regular (not Greek) yogurt in my fridge so I used it instead of buying more. It was still delicious, although much thinner. It was still flavorful and went great with my Tandoori Chicken Bites. I also like the idea of adding a pinch of cayenne to juxtapose the cool cucumber and ginger… I might go add some now :)
Cucumber Raita
cucumber raita
5 from 1 vote
Cucumber raita is a quick, flavorful, and fresh sauce to cool spicy entrees or side dishes.
Peel the cucmber and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Grate the cucumber on a large cheese grater and place into a colander. Add a pinch of salt and allow it to sit while you prepare the rest of the sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, salt, cumin, and coriander. Stir to combine. Roughly chop the cilantro and add to the bowl. Peel the ginger and grate it (using a fine cheese grater) into the bowl.
After the cucumber has been sitting for at least ten minutes, press it into the sides of the colander to extract as much moisture as possible. Add it to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve the sauce immediately or refrigerate to allow the flavors to combine. Adjust salt as needed.
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Notes
This sauce should keep in the refrigerator for approximately 5 days.
Begin with the cucumber. Peel the half that you’ll be using, slice it in half lengthwise, and then scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
Grate the cucumber into a colander using a cheese grater. Add a pinch of salt and allow it to sit. The salt will help draw out the juices so that they don’t make your sauce watery.
Place the yogurt in a bowl and add the cumin, coriander, and salt. Peel the ginger and grate it into the bowl as well. Stir to combine
Take a handful of cilantro (or mint) leaves and roughly chop them.
After the cucumber has been sitting in the colander for about ten minutes, press it against the sides to extract as much water as possible. Add it to the yogurt sauce along with the chopped cilantro. Stir to combine.
Taste the sauce and add more salt if desired. I didn’t want a lot of salt in this sauce because I liked it’s light, fresh flavor. You can eat the sauce as is or refrigerate it to allow the flavors to mingle. Isn’t it pretty?
I served this as a dipping sauce for the tandoori chicken bites, but I also ended up making flatbread sandwiches with the naan, raita, tandoori chicken, leftover fresh cilantro, and a little chili garlic sauce. They were TO DIE FOR. Like little Indian tacos or shwarma wraps!
Though both are dips made with yogurt and cucumber as the main ingredient, Tzatziki is thicker than raita, flavoured with olive oil, garlic, kosher salt & lemon juice. But raita is thinner and does not use any of those but uses cumin powder for flavor.
Swasthi's Recipes calls it tzatziki's cousin because both condiments share yogurt as a distinctive component and serve a purpose as part of a meal. However, each one is unique, meaning they're not interchangeable. For starters, they have dissimilar textures and levels of richness.
'yogurt cucumber'), whereas in western regions of Nepal it is known as raito. Raita is also sometimes simply called dahi, or "sourmilk", after its main ingredient, particularly in South African Indian cuisine.
A great alternative would be this Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing. You can also try to up the flavor profile by making a Yogurt Tahini Sauce or Yogurt Dill Sauce to enhance those Mediterranean flavors.
The English term for raita is mixed curd. Many foreign dishes are close to raita like curd salad, salad with curd seasoning and curd dip, but the preparation of these dishes is not even close to raita. Raita is often mixed with cucumber.
Raita can also be deployed beyond Indian cuisine. You can eat it by itself as a savory yogurt snack; you can use it as a marinade for chicken; you can serve it as a side or topping to any hearty dish in need of a light accompaniment—lamb chops, fried things, stuffed breads, roasted vegetables.
Add chilled water, a little at a time while mixing gently until you get the consistency you desire. Your raita should be thick and creamy. Chill the raita in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before serving. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Raita can be served as a dip or a side dish. In the latter case, it is easiest to view it as a salad. In India, people snack on raita between courses to cool the mouth, or they mix it first with rice before eating it with a curry.
You'll love how easy and versatile this Greek sauce is, you can serve it with some pita chips and fresh veggies or use it over your gyros, kebabs, with fish, or to dip your fries, or to jazz up some mean dinner bowls! So many possibilities!
Raita is a delicious Indian side that has a cooling effect. It's made with whisked plain yogurt and is really versatile - so you can add your favorite mix ins to it. Its similar to tzatziki but not as thick and can be made sweet or savory.
Since cucurbitacin tends to be concentrated in the stem end and just under the skin, Ian Beger, resident agronomist of Castle Hot Springs, recommends cutting off the stem end and peeling the cucumber as an easy way to eliminate most of the bitterness.
Spices: Cucumbers pair well with spices such as black pepper, cumin, and coriander. Fruits: Cucumbers pair well with fruits such as tomatoes, watermelon, and berries. Meats: Cucumbers pair well with meats such as chicken, salmon, and tuna. Seafood: Cucumbers pair well with seafood such as shrimp, crab, and oysters.
The secret to this incredible cucumber salad is salting the cucumbers for 30 minutes. As they sit, the cucumbers become even more “cucumbery” and release extra moisture, which, if not removed, would make the vinegar dressing watery.
Some might think of this dip as something similar to sour cream, but if you're wondering what tzatziki tastes like, it is slightly tangy, garlicky, and cool due to the use of cucumber and fresh herbs.
Traditional Indian yogurts usually involve a long fermentation process that results in an intense tangy flavor. Greek yogurt is made with strained cow's milk, resulting in a thick and creamy texture. It is usually unflavored and less sour than Indian yogurt.
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Servings 6
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