Easy Cucumber Raita
This easy cucumber raita is a go to yogurt sauce to serve with spicy Indian style meals to cool you down and make you crave more spice at the same time!
When we call it easy raita, we mean seriously easy.
At it’s basic form, there’s only four ingredients. And two are salt and pepper.
So really, this won’t take you long at all.
We have been enjoying varieties of raitas for as long as we can remember. This one seems to be the most common and most popular choice of restaurants and for us at home.
Especially when we are ready to go with dinner and haven’t made raita yet. Oops. That’s ok. This will only take five minutes, or less.
Another easy raita you’ll want to try when you have fresh dill, is this zesty lemon dill raita.
Content in this Post
Ingredients in Easy Cucumber Raita
- Plain yogurt — better yet, use Dahi if you can find it at an Indian grocery store. Or you can make this with plain Greek yogurt or homemade Instant Pot yogurt.
- Cucumber — grated or diced very small. We don’t usually peel our cucumbers although you can if you like.
- Salt — Himalayan pink salt is our preference but plain is fine.
- Pepper — freshly grated black peppercorns are excellent in this!
Optional Ingredients/Garnishes
- Fresh Cilantro — If you have some, chopped or whole fresh cilantro sprigs are beautiful and lend an amazing flavor to this sauce.
- Lemon Juice — add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice if desired.
- Cucumber Slices — thinly sliced cucumber rounds can be used as garnish.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Cucumber Raita Recipe
You’ll love this cucumber raita because it’s super easy to make, in literally five minutes or less. If you need a raita fast, you’ll likely have the ingredients and can get it on the table asap!
Plus, this Indian style cucumber yogurt sauce goes with all of the spicy curries you can think of.
It’s the perfect accompaniment to Indian meals and will cool the palate while simultaneously send you back for more heat! A truly vicious (and delicious) cycle!
How To Make Easy Cucumber Raita
STEP 1: Whisk Yogurt in Bowl
Add plain yogurt or dahi to a medium bowl. Whisk it well to smooth out any lumps.
STEP 2: Add Remaining Ingredients
Toss in the grated or finely diced cucumber, as well as salt and pepper.
STEP 3: Mix Well
Mix thoroughly to combine. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
What To Serve With Easy Cucumber Raita
Cucumber raita is a cooling side dish meant to accompany spicy curries and more Indian dishes like easy chicken biryani and eggplant and bell pepper curry.
It’s especially tasty alongside the drier style curries like cauliflower potato aloo gobi and bhindi masala okra curry.
You can serve it with any and all of your favorite Indian dishes. We love it with Instant Pot chana masala and Instant Pot tomato dal.
Best Uses for Leftover Cucumber Raita
The beauty of cucumber raita is that it really goes with everything. It’s perfect with all of your favorite Indian recipes so you can pair it with any combination of curries, rice, meat and vegetable dishes.
You can dress sandwiches, wraps and pitas with it for a perfect lunch.
Try serving it as a sauce for grilled or baked seafood.
Storage Tips
Easy cucumber raita can be stored in an air tight container in your fridge for up to three days. Raita will retain it’s best flavor and texture for about 24 hours, and is therefore best consumed when fresh.
You can also freeze cucumber raita if you’d like to, for up to three months in a freezer safe container.
You’ll Also Love
Instant Pot Easy Chicken Biryani
Did you make this recipe?
Please rate it!
Yummly Facebook Email
Easy Cucumber Raita
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Yogurt, plain yogurt, or dahi
- ¼ Cup Cucumber, grated or diced small
- ½ teaspoon Salt, Himalayan pink salt, ground
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly grated black peppercorns
Instructions
- Add plain yogurt or Dahi to a medium bowl and whisk well to smooth out any lumps.
- Toss in remaining ingredients (grated or finely diced cucumber, salt and pepper).
- Mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve as an accompaniment with Indian style curries.
Nutrition
Note
The above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide. If you are following a specific diet or have dietary restrictions, please use your preferred nutritional calculator. If you have a food allergy please ensure that none of the listed ingredients are part of your restrictions. As well, always use a food thermometer to ensure safe cooking temperature of the food items.
