A light and cooling dip made with yogurt, cucumber and mint. So great for cooling the palate alongside a spicy curry.
This is my simple 5-ingredient recipe. A great addition to a homemade Indian banquet, or simply as a dip for tortilla crisps.
I love making little simple side dishes to go along curries – be it a simple tomato, onion and coriander salad, a bowl of mini poppadoms, or this 5-minute raita.
It makes a curry feel extra special, and more like something you’d get from your local Indian restaurant.
This raita is lovely cooling side dish that works great as a dip for poppadoms, or as a way to cool the palate when eating a hot curry.
What is raita?
Raita is a simple plain yogurt or curd-based sauce or dip, flavoured with vegetables or sometimes fruit. It’s usually served as a cooling side dish with Indian food.
It’s often made with cucumber and/or mint, but can also include onions, spices, tomato, carrot or spring onion – to name but a few variations.
What do we need?
How to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Slice the cucumber in half and scoop out the seeds
- Grate the cucumber and squeeze out the liquid
- Place the cucumber in a bowl with natural yogurt, cumin, salt and fresh mint.
Stir together and serve topped with a few small fresh mint leaves.
What to serve it with
I love to serve this with pretty much any of my Curry Recipes
- Easy Chicken Curry (in the image above)
- Slow-Cooked Spicy Beef Curry
- Chicken Madras
- Chicken Jalfrezi
- Spicy Chicken Curry
- Rogan Josh
- Homemade Pilau Rice
- Alongside homemade Chapati or Chicken Pakora
What’s the difference between raita and tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a Greek dip made using Greek yoghurt (instead of an Indian dip using natural yogurt). Tzatziki is also made with cucumber but is often flavoured with dill and garlic, plus a little sugar, as well as an acidic element, such as white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
Tzatziki is usually thicker than raita.
Raita often contains some spices.
Watch how to make it
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Raita Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cucumber
- 240 g (1 cup) thick natural yogurt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- ½ tsp cumin
- â…› tsp salt
Instructions
- Sliced the cucumber in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds using a teaspoon and discard.1/2 cucumber
- Grate the cucumber then squeeze the juice out of the cucumber over the sink or a bowl using clean hands.
- Place the cucumber in a bowl. Add the yogurt, mint, cumin, and salt.240 g (1 cup) thick natural yogurt, 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves, ½ tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp salt
- Stir together until combined and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Easy to make easy to dip mMm easy too eat.
Life saver 😉😂👌
Nicky, your recipes just ooze pure joy! I look something up on your recipe index every day now and I look forward to the ideas you share very much. By far the best collection of recipes I’ve ever come across, and I’m an experienced cook!!
At a time when life is challenging for all of us, your passion for family meals is really soothing for the soul!! Thankyou!!!
Thank you Maria, I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the recipes 🙂
Made this at the weekend to go along side your spicy chicken curry, perfect accompaniment. Definitely better than store bought. Thank you.