A cooling, herby, crunchy yogurt sauce, perfect accompaniment for BBQ and spicy rice dishes; ready in just 5 mins!
Raita, is a yogurt dip commonly served alongside Indian and Mediterranean dishes. Raita is a great accompaniment to balance out the heavy barbecued meats like kabobs as well as balance the spiciness of rice dishes like biryani. Raita is not just a dip or sauce but more like a salad eaten alongside the main dish. Raita is a must especially if you are new to spicy foods! It is common for parents to alternate bites of food with spoonful of yogurt for children as they learn to adapt to spices.
Yogurt has probiotics which naturally aide in digestion, especially after eating such heavy meaty and spicy meals. It is common for yogurt to be served with Indian meals. With a few added ingredients the simple plain yogurt can become a flavorful raita worthy of entertaining. Simply add a few vegetables to add color and crunch to the yogurt. No cooking involved, just chop and mix and a flavorful yogurt dip is ready in a matter of minutes.
Raita can be made in many variations, but the base ingredient is always yogurt. You can add herbs and vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, even red beats for a unique pink color. Some people like the consistency to be runny while others like it thicker. It is very easy to customize it to your preference of ingredients and consistency. In a true Indian fashion, many also add a tempering or waghaar on top of oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chili. However I don’t particularly feel its needed, why mess with a perfectly healthy dish and add unnecessary calories! Here is a healthy cucumber raita recipe that can be ready in under 5 mins.
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Time: 5 minutes
Level of difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain yogurt (whole or Greek)
- 1/2 cup diced or shredded cucumber
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (remove runny seeds inside)
- 1/8 cup fresh chopped coriander/cilantro
- 1/8 tsp salt or to taste, can use black salt if available
- A few grinds of cracked black pepper
- 1/8 tsp Chaat Masala
- Pinch red chili powder (optional)
- 1 tbsp diced green chili’s (optional)
Method:
- Dice cucumber into small pieces(1/2″) with or without skin. You can also grate the cucumber (with or without skin), be sure to remove the seeds and squeeze out the liquid from the grated cucumber.
- In a bowl mix all the ingredients to ensure no lumps.
- Optional, add a little bit of milk at a time if you would like a thinner consistency.
- Sprinkle a pinch of chaat masala and or red chili powder on top for garnish
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- The consistency will depend on which yogurt you use. Greek Yogurt is best for a thicker creamy consistency, while low fat yogurt can be used for thinner consistency. Use milk to thin out the consistency if needed instead of water to maintain the creaminess. You can also adjust the proportion of vegetables to yogurt as you wish.
- To get an even more creamier texture, add 2 tbsp sour cream.
- Can be stored in fridge, will stay good up to the expiration date of the yogurt and milk used. Perfect to make a day ahead of large parties.
- See more Raita variations in the salad section.