This cooling Cucumber raita is the ultimate companion to any curry! Made with a blend of cucumber, yogurt, herbs, and spices, this refreshing Indian raita is quick to make and can be served with your favourite Indian curry, naan bread, or homemade poppadoms.
About my easy Indian cucumber raita recipe
Making Indian Raitha is quick and easy. With just 10 minutes at hand, you can whip up this cooling cucumber yogurt dip and elevate your curry to the next level.
To make this raita, I stick to a simple mantra: for every 2 cups of yogurt, I add 1 portion of vegetables, which in this case is cucumber. This 2:1 ratio gives us the ideal consistency of yogurt and added ingredients. Along with cucumber, I also use basic ingredients like spice powders and herbs to give this dip its classic Indian flavour.
Once all the ingredients are mixed together, I serve it chilled to make sure it’s the perfect temperature to balance the heat from any spicy dish.
Ingredients for Raita recipe, you’ll need:
- Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt (dilute Greek yogurt with water if using)
- English Cucumber
- Spices – Roasted cumin powder and chilli powder
- Fresh coriander leaves (or mint leaves for a mint and cucumber raita)
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make easy Cucumber raita step by step?
- In a bowl, place the yogurt and whisk it until smooth. If you’re using Greek yogurt, dilute it with a little water.
- Dice the cucumber into small pieces. Add the diced cucumber, cumin powder, chilli powder, salt and coriander leaves, reserving some for garnishing.
- Stir the mixture to combine. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
- Chill the raita in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Once chilled, serve this refreshing cucumber raita with your favourite vegetarian recipes, and don’t forget to garnish with the reserved coriander leaves.
How to make Chunky Cucumber raita?
- To make Chunky Cucumber raita, start by grating the cucumber and then squeeze out the juice from it. You can keep the cucumber juice aside and use it later to dilute the yogurt if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Next, add the grated cucumber to the yogurt along spices, herbs and salt. Mix everything together until well combined
- If the raita is too thick, add some of the reserved cucumber juice or water to thin it out.
- Cover and chill the raita in the fridge until ready to serve. This will allow the flavours to meld together and the raita to thicken up.
- Serve the chunky cucumber raitha alongside your favourite curry dish and enjoy the cool and refreshing flavours!
Serving Suggestions
- This Cucumber raita is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of easy Indian meals, such as Airfryer Onion Bhaji, Takeaway – style Dal Tarka, Creamy Aubergine Curry, and Vegetable Biryani.
- It also pairs well with stuffed parathas, such as Aloo paratha, Gobi paratha, and Rajma paratha, for a complete and satisfying meal.
- In addition to being a flavourful side dish, this raita also makes a great dip for crispyPoppadoms.
Storing leftover raita
Store leftover cucumber raita in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Love this raita, you will also love these variations of easy Indian Raita
FAQ’s
Can I use Greek Yogurt for making Raita?
Yes, you can use Greek yogurt to make raita by diluting it with water.
What is the difference between raita & Tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a Greek dip made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and herbs like dill, while raita has cumin powder, chilli powder, and coriander leaves as its key ingredients.
Can you make Vegan Indian raita?
Yes, you can make vegan Indian raita using any plant-based yogurt.
How To Make Roasted Cumin Powder / Bhuna Jeera Powder?
To make roasted cumin powder, heat cumin seeds in a pan until they turn brown and release their aroma. Then, grind them into a fine powder. I have a quick recipe for Homemade Cumin Powder for you to make and store.
Can I freeze cucumber Raita?
While it’s not recommended to freeze raita, you can still freeze spiced plain yogurt. When you’re ready to make the raita, thaw the yogurt and add cucumber and herbs. This will help to maintain the texture and flavour of the raita.
If you love this refreshing raita, you will also love
- Indian Mint Yogurt Sauce
- Boom Boom Sauce
- 5 minutes Green Chutney
- Tamarind Dates Chutney
- Coconut Chutney
- Onion Tomato Chutney
Homemade Cucumber raita recipe below
Ingredients
- 1 cup Yogurt
- ½ cup Cucumber finely diced
- ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
- ¼- ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ½ tsp Chaat Masala Powder optional
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Place Yogurt in a bowl and whisk it until smooth. If the yogurt is thick in consistency, add ⅛-¼ cup water and whisk again to adjust the consistency.1 cup Yogurt
- Add cucumber, spice powders, salt, pepper & coriander leaves and mix until combined.½ cup Cucumber, ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder, ¼- ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp Chaat Masala Powder, Salt & Pepper to taste, 2 tbsp coriander leaves
- Garnish with more coriander leaves and serve cucumber raita chilled.2 tbsp coriander leaves
Preeti Jaipal says
Wow…This is one of the most delicious Cucumber raita I have ever made.
Resna Nishad says
Now this Cucumber Raita is really delicious. We served it with Roti and Dal Tarka – loved it!
JttPHZAx says
Thank you Resna… U sure did make my day !!!
Thanks you SOny !!
Preeti : Welcome to my space.. glad to connect with you…
Jayanthy Kumaran says
lovely recipe
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says
I love Cucumber Raitha. It's so nice to meet you.
Vidya Deepak Ram says
Sandhya I love it.. Waiting for next
Sony P says
Easy Cucumber raita pairs well with Aloo Matar and Naan bread.It’s just so good.
Heidy says
Your recipe was out of this world awesome, and we loved it. This is a keeper, and I will be sharing your link with a few of my friends. Thanks for another great recipe! Have a great day.
Sandhya's Kitchen says
How amazing!!! Our easy Cucumber Raita works like a charm with everything.
Bintu | Budget Delicious says
I love cucumber raita and this sounds absolutely delicious! Perfect to have with any curry for sure!
Sandhya's Kitchen says
Its Quick, Easy, and Tasty for sure. Plus this Indian raita recipe with cucumber is the perfect accompaniment for any curry.
Biana says
Looks delicious! Will be perfect served with some chicken for dinner.
Sandhya's Kitchen says
This raita will be a winner for Chicken Dinner for sure!
Alison says
I made masala oats this afternoon and this was the perfect accompaniment.
Sandhya's Kitchen says
Wow.. I have not tried Raita with Masala oats. Thanks for the great suggestion.
Jill says
Gorgeous photos – almost too pretty to eat. Thanks for the recipe!
Sandhya's Kitchen says
Our easy raita tastes as delicious as it looks… Plus its super simple to make.
John Marshall (in the UK) says
Hi Sandhya. By red chilli powder do you mean Kashmiri please.
Sandhya's Kitchen says
Hi John, you can use mild chilli powder or Kashmiri chilli powder – whichever you have in your pantry.
John Marshall (in the UK) says
Hi Sandhya thanks for a quick reply. I will use Kashmiri it is also quite mild generally used for
colour as well.