Raita is a quick side dish made with curd, veggies, spices & herbs. It is usually eaten as a side with pulao, biryani, kebabs or snacks.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 minutes
  • Total time: 6 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Side
  • Cuisine: Indian cuisine

Ingredients

  • 1 cup curd ((chilled fresh plain yogurt, more if required))
  • ½ cup cucumbers ((English / Persian / Japanese / Indian))
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons onion ((or shallots fine chopped, optional))
  • ¼ teaspoon salt ((adjust to taste))
  • 1 to 2 green chilies ((serrano peppers, deseeded & chopped))
  • 1 tablespoons coriander leaves ((fine chopped cilantro))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder (or cumin seeds (optional, read notes))

Method

How to make Raita

  1. Wash cucumbers, onion (if using) and green chilies under running water. Peel the cucumbers if you prefer and chop them to bite sized pieces. Deseed chilies if you prefer low heat and chop them. Fine chop coriander leaves and onions.
  2. Add yogurt and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk well until smooth. Add cucumbers, onions, coriander leaves, chilies, salt and cumin powder. Mix well and taste test to adjust salt. If it is too thick for your liking add more yogurt.
  3. Garnish with cumin powder or black pepper. Serve raita with biryani, pulao, kebabs or paratha.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.