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The healthy, skinny condiment recipe for all your main dishes is Cucumber Raita.

This Indian yogurt sauce is an excellent and refreshing side made with cucumber and yogurt, making any meal more delightful. This post will teach us how to make the best raita with simple pantry-ready ingredients.

Cucumber Raitha Recipe, Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

This Indian cucumber raita is creamy, delicious, and best for Indian biryani. Furthermore, the recipe is straightforward to make.

If you want to recreate the Indian yogurt dip you recently enjoyed in the Indian restaurant, your search ends here. This recipe of raita is what you find commonly in Indian restaurants in the United States.

About this recipe

This recipe is easy to prepare. Just cut the cucumber and mix it with yogurt. That's it.

How easy is this right?

Today I prepared cucumber raita as a combo for ‘Biryani.’ Nothing can win this combo of Spicy Biryani and raita. The good part? This cool side perfectly balances the hot Indian biryani.

What is raita?

Raita is an Indian condiment usually served with main dishes like Biryani or Naan bread. It is made with yogurt and topped with other ingredients like vegetables or fruits. The cool yogurt mixed with crunchy add-ons makes the dish awesome to pair with.

Surprisingly, this creamy cucumber yogurt sauce suits well with other global food. This rich, skinny condiment serves as a dip with nachos or chips.

Give it a try! You will love it!

Best food to pair with Cucumber raita

It tastes fabulous when paired with ‘Biryani'(you can check ‘Veg Biryani‘ )., or any Indian flatbread like roti or paratha. The following would pair up beautifully with this tummy coolant raita.

My Favorite Variations for the Indian yogurt sauce

Cucumber raita tastes excellent with other vegetables like onion, tomato, green chili, apple, carrot, and beetroot.
The fruits like mango, pomegranate, apple, pineapple, and guava are some fruit contrasts everyone will love.
And top with other crispy Indian snacks like the spicy mixer.
Grated coconut is one of the additives in South Indian cuisine, especially for its texture.
Sprinkle Indian spices like garam masala, Madras curry powder, or roasted cumin powder.

Pro Tips for Cucumber Raita

If you think of adding other vegetables, consider salad-friendly vegetables like onions, carrots, and tomatoes.
Cucumber can be cut into desired shapes; it can be chopped, cubed, sliced, or grated.
Chopped green chili and cilantro are great to garnish and are very close to authentic cucumber raita.
Add a pinch of sugar to enhance the flavors.
Fruits can also be added here in this raita sauce recipe. If you consider complementing fruits, think of fruits with a firm texture, like an apple, pomegranate, or peach.
This dish tastes good if they are freshly made. So avoid cutting the vegetables ahead of time.

Other condiments you may like,

Garnishing Ideas

Garnish with greens, like cilantro, mint, or dill.
Chopped chili peppers, ground black pepper, and red chili powder give a pleasant appetitive look. Additionally, these provide heat to cucumber raita.
The Indian spice mixes are flavor boosters for this simple spiced yogurt dip. Try sprinkling any of the following: garam masala, madras curry powder, or ground cumin. Each of these additions gives a whole new dimension to the flavor and the taste.

How to make cucumber raita

The ingredients.

Yogurt. Plain, unsweetened yogurt is the must for making this recipe. The fresh curd/yogurt is the best for making these recipes. The curd should not sour and the thick consistency curd yields creamy raitha every time we make. You may refer this How to make homemade Yogurt recipe for making the best homemade yogurt every time you make.

Cucumber. Any type of cucumber works perfectly in this recipe. You may use, English cucumber, Persian cucumber, or green burpless. Slicing, chopping or grating acts well too.

Ground black pepper. This gives little heat and provides a contrast look in the raita. Optionally you may add red pepper flakes.

The recipe directions.

Cut the vegetables. Peel and grate the cucumber.

Mix. Mix yogurt, salt, ground black pepper, and cucumber. And serve.

Recipe FAQ

Can I make cucumber raita ahead?

Avoid making it in advance, as the cucumber becomes watery after a while. So it is always better to combine the ingredients with yogurt soon before serving.

How to make raita for Party?

When you are planning to make this dish for a large crowd and want to avoid the last-minute hassles, you may chop the cucumber store refrigerate in an air-sealed container. And combine them with yogurt just before serving.

What's the best consistency of cucumber raita?

There is no strict rule for consistency. It can be thick or watery depends on the main course they are served with. If it is served with flatbreads, thicker consistency is the best combination. And If it is served with rice, it can be a little thinner if you prefer.

Indian Curd or Yogurt what makes the difference?

Both are great for making this cucumber raita. You may choose either one of these according to the availability in the place you live in. Yogurt is commonly available in regular grocery stores in the U.S. Whereas in India, the people use Indian curd or Dahi(the Indian name).

When going for the store-bought yogurt always check the manufacturer's expiry date. As expired and poorly stocked yogurt gets sour and gets spoiled easily.

Can I make this raita vegan?

Yes, you may swap yogurt with non-dairy yogurt to convert the recipe vegan. And choose plain and unsweetened dairy-free yogurt for making this recipe.

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