Cucumber Raita Recipe (Kheere Ka Raita)
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This cucumber raita is cool, creamy, refreshing, and comes together in just a few minutes. It makes the ideal side to spicy curries, biryani, or a simple Indian meal. This is my simple recipe for it.
Searching for a few more raita recipes to go with your everyday meals? Try my aloo raita, kaddu ka raita, boondi raita, fruit raita, pineapple raita, carrot raita, and mango raita.
Quick Look: Cucumber Raita
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: Approx. 60 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free. Can be easily made vegan.
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Mixing bowl, wire whisk, box grater.
Table of Contents
I made my pudina rice for today’s lunch and thought of serving it with plain yogurt. Mohit, however, asked for a raita to go with the pulao. So, I shot a video of this cucumber raita recipe to kill two birds with one stone. That’s what I like about my job. I get to have my cake and eat it too :). I am off to enjoy my pulao and raita, but you take a look at this simple recipe and try it!
What Is Cucumber Raita?
Cucumber raita (kheere ka raita) is a cold North Indian yogurt side that is made with grated cucumber, herbs, and a few mild spices. Raita is a side dish of whisked yogurt, the cooling thing you eat with the spicy thing, not in place of it. This is the standard partner for biryani, pulao, kebabs, and any hot running curry.
Most recipes you find on the internet are thick, more like a dip. The raita is supposed to be thin and runny, so it flows over the rice instead of sitting on top of it in a lump.
Many recipes also ask you to squeeze the grated cucumber to remove excess moisture. But, honestly, that’s the most unnecessary step. You need to loosen the raita anyway with milk or water. The natural liquid released by the cucumber not only does this job but also flavors the raita.
Do try my cucumber raita recipe once, and you will know how easy it is to make and how delicious it is to eat!
Ingredients
- Plain Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) – Either fresh homemade or store-bought yogurt can be used. I use whole milk yogurt (full-fat yogurt) to make my raita extra creamy. You can also use low-fat yogurt. Greek yogurt is also fine, but you will need more milk to thin it.
- Milk – This gives the raita a pourable consistency. If you want to keep it lighter, cold water will do the same job.
- Cucumber is the star ingredient of this recipe. Any type of cucumber, Indian, Persian, or English, works fine. Thin-skinned ones can be used unpeeled, but tougher Indian cucumbers are better peeled.
- Mint and Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) give a refreshing taste to this cucumber raita recipe.
- Green Chilies – Optional, but I love the hint of spice they add to this raita. Seed them for a milder bowl, or add one slit chili, whole, for flavor without the burn.
- Others – You will also need roasted cumin powder and black salt (kala namak).
You can skip adding cumin powder and salt and add a teaspoon of raita masala powder instead.
You can add some chaat masala, red chili powder, and black pepper powder to perk up the taste.
How To Make Cucumber Raita
Preparation
Peel and grate ½ cup of cucumber with the medium holes of a box grater. Chop 2 tablespoons of mint, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, and 1 teaspoon of green chilies. Gather the remaining ingredients.
Step 1: Whisk the yogurt. In a mixing bowl, whisk 1 cup of chilled plain yogurt until it’s totally smooth and creamy. Do this before anything else goes in, because once the cucumber and herbs are in the bowl, you can’t remove the lumps from the yogurt without mashing everything.
Step 2: Add everything and mix. Add the following ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- ½ cup cold milk (or cold water)
- ½ cup peeled and grated cucumber
- 2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon black salt
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
The raita should be thick but runny. It should fall off a spoon in a ribbon and not sit there in a pile. If it is too stiff, add a splash more milk or water.
Step 3: Serve, or chill first. Serve right away or refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. The black salt and cumin burst into the yogurt, deepening the flavor, but the cucumber also gives off water as it sits, so give it a quick stir before it goes to the table.
Pro Tips By Neha
Taste the cucumber before it goes in. A bitter cucumber will spoil the whole bowl, and there’s no coming back from that. If your cucumber is bitter, then cut a coin off each end and rub the cut faces together until a white foam appears; rinse and taste again.
Sour yogurt requires sugar, not more salt. A quarter teaspoon of sugar tones down the tang of the curd without making the raita sweet. The salt only makes the sourness more sour.
When in doubt, add the black salt last. Kala namak differs greatly from brand to brand. Begin with ¾ teaspoon, taste, and then add 1 teaspoon.
Don’t walk away from it too soon. I’ve learned it the hard way. A big bowl made an hour ago will have a pale puddle sitting on top of it by the time anyone gets to eat. Grated cucumber keeps releasing water the whole time it is sitting in the yogurt. If this happens to you, spoon off the liquid, whisk in 2 tablespoons of thick yogurt, and taste for salt again, because cold flattens it. See the make-ahead fix in the storage section below.
Variations
Cucumber mint raita – Use twice the mint, no cilantro at all. Goes better with kebabs.
No onion, no garlic raita – This recipe is already one, so it is safe for vrat meals and Jain guests.
With a tadka – Tadka is hot oil poured over a finished dish with spices bloomed in it. For a South Indian touch, crackle mustard seeds and curry leaves in a teaspoon of oil and pour over.
Extra vegetables – Grated carrot, chopped tomato, or pomegranate seeds all work well here. Onion is also good.
Vegan – Replace dairy yogurt and milk with plant-based yogurt and milk, one-for-one.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it with any Indian-style meal. It will not only enhance the taste but also cool you down.
I love serving it with spicy vegetable biryani, chicken biryani, or any other spicy Indian dish, as it soothes the palate with its cooling effect.
You can also serve ot with pulao, kababs, dal, or stuffed parathas.
It’s also a great dipping sauce for roasted vegetables, or a cooling accompaniment to spicy grilled foods.
Storage Suggestions
Cucumber raita tastes the best within an hour of making, when the cucumber is still crisp, and the yogurt is still cold and sweet.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Opt for a glass container over plastic, which tends to hold onto odors and dull the flavor. It will loosen up overnight as the cucumber releases water; pour off any liquid that has separated, whisk briefly, and taste for salt again, as chilling dulls it. It is not a dish to reheat or freeze, because the yogurt splits when thawed and the cucumber goes limp.
To make ahead: Whisk together the yogurt, milk, salt, and cumin. Refrigerate. Put the grated cucumber and chopped herbs in a separate box, then stir them in just before serving. You get five-second raita at dinner and a bowl that doesn’t get all watery.
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Cucumber Raita Recipe (Kheere Ka Raita)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold plain yogurt (dahi, curd)
- ½ cup cold milk (or cold water)
- ½ cup peeled and grated cucumber
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon black salt
Instructions
- Whisk yogurt in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- Serve right away or refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. The black salt and cumin burst into the yogurt, deepening the flavor, but the cucumber also gives off water as it sits, so give it a quick stir before it goes to the table.
