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
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt ($0.54)
- 1/2 medium cucumber ($0.30)
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger ($0.09)
- 1/4 tsp coriander ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp cumin ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- handful fresh cilantro or mint ($0.21)
Instructions
- 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
Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
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!
I also squeeze my cucumber in a towel. I omit ginger for the same reason cited above. I also second the grated carrot suggestion and the toasted cumin suggestion. Another type of raita is potato and some have used cucumber raita in potato salad. Someone asked what the difference is between tzatziki and raita. Tzatziki calls for garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and uses a thicker style of yogurt. Raita tends to be thinner, though thick yogurt is used in Indian cuisine in shrikhand.
I’ve seen many variations on cucumber raita but always keep in mind the cooling aspect in a spicy Indian meal.
thanks for sharing...
I love your site. Thank you for sharing. I also especially love Indian Food. A while back, I met up with another True Foodie and we cooked 5 Indian dishes. Check it out, http://hometownslop.blogspot.com/2011/10/indian-cooking-among-other-delicious.html
Delicious!
Sincerely,
Jeff
Haha I just saw your two posts together – tandoori chicken bites, then this raita and thought perfect – you know how to match good food! And you have. Delicious for a light Indian night. Have made this many many times for Indian meals, and definitely prefer mint for the cooling factor.
I love Raita and Tzatziki. I’m not picky! And I eat the leftovers plain! I just love it. A tip I read in a tzatziki recipe is to put the grated cucumber in a clean, lint free towel, and squeeze the extra water out. It really works. The first time I did it I was a little overzealous and strained the yogurt for so long that it was actually a lot thicker than I wanted, so I ended up adding a little of the strained liquid back!
I admit I’m lazy! So I picked up a pkg of shredded broccoli and carrots I’m going to add it to see how it works! It’ll easily make 2-3 batches AND it’ll get in extra veggies.
It was on sale for $2.50 too.
OMG!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Trader Joe’s has since stopped carrying this so I have no way of getting my fix anymore!
I am SOOOOOOO making this! Gotta go get a few ingredients, but I’ll definitely be making it this weekend.
Wonderful insight and suggestions! Thank you! :D
Actually ginger is not a traditional ingredient in this recipe, as it tends to overpower it. If you like it by all means add it, but since raita is eaten to temper any spicy dishes, the ginger would be counterproductive. For a pinch of colour you can chili powder to get small specks of red in it instead. And you also don’t need coriander power if you’re adding fresh cilantro (both are essentially the same thing but cilantro & mint combination is the best). Another great ingredient to add some shredded carrot, great flavor and colour to the dish – An Indian cook.
If you have regular yogurt and you want it to be thicker (Greek style), you can just spoon it into the middle of a clean cloth (handkerchief or a piece of an old sheet), twist it up and gently squeeze out some of the whey. Quick and easy!
What is the difference between this an tzatziki?
I make tandoori chicken with raita all the time! I love it because it is SO healthy yet SO tasty! And we have just got a Whole Foods near me. So happy! x
hmmm, I recently looked up cusabi recipes and wasn’t thrilled they used mayo, after seeing your post I think I may try making some cusabi with greek yogurt! ; )
Cusabi=YUMMY!!
Mmm… That looks soooo good! I seriously have to put this on my meal plan, I’m thinking Saturday dinner. Thank you!!!
My Pakistani friend uses regular yogurt and thins it out with a little water. I do either. She also toasts all her spices. Raita is the love of my life. I’ve put leftovers on burgers, sandwiches and everything else.