Cucumber Raita (Easy and Healthy)
Cucumber Raita is refreshing, healthy, nourishing, delicious, and very cooling. This Raita is made with plain yogurt, grated cucumber, and flavored with herbs and spices. It is a perfect and easy-to-make side dish to serve with Biryani, Pulao, or Paratha.
Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1 cup peeled and grated cucumbers
- 1 small green chili, finely chopped (optional)
- 3-4 mint leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Chaat Masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- A pinch of red chili powder to garnish
- A pinch of roasted cumin powder to garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, take the yogurt and whisk it well to make it smooth.
- Rinse and peel the cucumber, and shred it with the large hole grater. Also, make sure to taste the cucumber, it should not be bitter or sour.
- If your cucumber has lots of seeds, first cut it lengthwise and remove the seeds. Then grate the cucumber.
- Add grated cucumber, green chili, mint leaves, coriander leaves, salt, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala powder, and sugar.
- Mix everything well to combine.
- Take it into a serving bowl and garnish with red chili powder and roasted cumin powder. You can also garnish it with mint leaves or coriander leaves.
- Serve the Cucumber Raita right away or let it chill in the fridge until the time of serving.
- Cucumber Raita is best served fresh or within a few hours of making.
Notes
- Grating the Cucumber: Cucumbers contain a lot of water, and upon grating, they will release this water. Adding shredded cucumber with water will make the Raita thinner and runnier. To prevent a lot of water from being released from the cucumber, shred it using a grater with large holes. If you don't have a large-holed grater, you can also finely chop the cucumber. The other option is to squeeze the water out of the shredded cucumber. I generally do not do that to prevent nutrient loss.
- Yogurt: I have used plain homemade yogurt, and fresh homemade yogurt makes the Raita light and delicious. You can check out my recipe for homemade yogurt. However, if you want to have a thick Raita, use Greek yogurt or hung yogurt.
- Cucumber: I have used an English cucumber to make this Raita. English cucumber does not have many seeds, and that is what I prefer. However, you can use your preferred type of cucumber. Before grating, taste the cucumber to ensure it is not bitter or sour.
- Green Chili: I like a slight hint of heat in my Cucumber Raita, so I add a small green chili or half of it. The Raita should not be too spicy, as it is mainly served with Pulao or Biryani, which are already spicy. So adding green chili is optional, and you can leave it out. Or you can use red chili powder for the spiciness instead of green chili.
- Mint Leaves: I love the flavor of mint in the Raita, and it makes the dish very refreshing. However, if you don't like the mint flavor or don't have mint leaves, you can skip it.
- Coriander Leaves: Use the fresh coriander leaves and chop them finely.
- Roasted Cumin Powder: I will say this ingredient is a must for this recipe. It provides a lot of flavor to the Raita. Do not substitute it with regular cumin powder. If you do not have roasted cumin powder, it is super easy and quick to make some. Dry roast a teaspoon of cumin seeds in a pan over medium-low heat until they are aromatic and have changed color. Let the seeds cool down, and then crush them into a fine powder.
- Chaat Masala: Add less or more Chaat Masala powder as per your taste.
- Sugar: Adding a teaspoon of sugar enhances the flavors of Cucumber Raita and reduces the tartness of the yogurt. However, it is optional, and you can omit it.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 114kcalCarbohydrates : 11gProtein : 6gFat : 5gSaturated Fat : 3gCholesterol : 21mgSodium : 126mgPotassium : 304mgFiber : 1gSugar : 10gVitamin A : 198IUVitamin C : 4mgCalcium : 203mgIron : 1mg
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