Refreshing Cucumber Raita can cool your tongue from any curry. It also makes a fantastic party dip.

What is Raita?

Raita is an Indian side dish that’s basically a creamy yogurt sauce mixed with any kind of vegetable or fruit and a bit of spice. It’s most often served with rice dishes such as biryani and curries.

Raita makes a great cooling agent when your palate feels a burn from those spicy Indian dishes.

The beauty of it is that it can really be made with anything. I’ve seen onion, mint, pineapple, pomegranate, beet, and even banana raita.

North Indians make it with boondhi, tiny balls of fried gram flour. In my house, cucumber raita has always been the standard.

I like to make my raita with Greek yogurt. This is partially because it’s what I normally have on hand but also because it tends to be less sour and is packed with more protein.

I based this recipe off of what my mom uses in her raita. She usually adds mustard powder to pack in some extra pungent flavor. If you find that it’s too strong of a taste, you can always add less.

How to Eat Raita

This is a great raita recipe for biryani but raita doesn’t just have to be an accompaniment to Indian food.

Try this yogurt sauce as a dip for vegetables, falafal dressing, or use it as a spread on bread. I sometimes use it as a healthier alternative to salad dressing.  You can even just eat it by itself!

I first shared this cucumber raita recipe on Food Fanatic so be sure to visit it there as well.