Cucumber raita recipe | Cucumber raita for biryani | How to make cucumber raita

Cucumber raita is a yogurt-based Indian condiment that is crazily popular all over the nation because of its subtle taste, chunky texture, and soothing flavor. The cucumber raita recipe itself is slightly blunt in taste to balance the taste of the spicy main course. In this preparation, cucumbers and chopped coriander leaves are mixed in whisked-in yogurt with some spices and salt. It is mostly served as a side with spicy food like biryani, pulao, etc. but it can be used as a dip or sauce too.

About the recipe
Health Benefits of Cucumber
Tips and Suggestions
Frequently Asked Questions
How to make Cucumber Raita (step wise photos)
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Cucumber raita is not only a condiment that balances the taste of hot meals to cut the spiciness of the food, but it makes the meal yummier too. In most of the restaurants and hotels, raita is served with Biryani to complete the meal just like both are incomplete without each other.

In the same way, sour cream is served with spicy and hot Mexican food to balance the meal. The sour cream or yogurt helps to absorb the compound capsaicin which gives a heaty taste to the chillies.

There are more than a hundred varieties of raita recipes that are prepared in India. Vegetable raita, boondi raita, onion raita, cucumber raita are very famous and frequently served at marriages, parties, etc.

There is no hard and fast rule to preparing any raita recipe. You can add anything you like and go for customization with the ingredients to prepare different varieties of raita.

Cucumber raita is mostly prepared in two different ways.

• One by grating the cucumber with the help of a grater and squeezing out the excess juice from the grated cucumber for making the raita thick. Many people prefer to add the juice into the raita too, using greek yogurt to enhance the flavour.
• The second way is by finely chopping the cucumbers into small cubes for the raita. It gives a chunky bite to the raita with maximum flavour without making the raita watery.

I personally prefer the second way to prepare the cucumber raita for biryani. I normally peel the skin off the cucumbers before chopping them. But you can also cut them without peeling. It completely depends upon the variety of cucumber used for the recipe. If the skin of the cucumber is thin then you can skip peeling. But if the skin is thick then I must suggest you peel the skin of the cucumber before chopping it for raita.

If you are using English cucumber or Persian cucumber aka mini cucumbers for the recipe then you can skip peeling as they contain very thin skin. But if you are using white cucumber or Indian cucumber then you must peel off their skin because they have got really very thick skin which is not edible.

I am a huge fan of any raita recipe and have been having this delight since my childhood. Chilled cucumber raita with a plate of pulao is a pure bliss during summer which cannot be explained through words. I even love to have raita as a dip with tandoori gobi or chicken tikka. Till now, I have prepared numerous raita recipes, and every week, I prepare raita at least once. In fact, everyone in my family prefers to have raita with spicy food for good digestion.

This cucumber raita recipe is an incredibly simple recipe that can be prepared very easily at home using very limited and easily available ingredients. The best part of this palatable dish is that it does not require to be cooked. The time-consuming part of the recipe is to cut the cucumber evenly. Other than this, it gets ready within 10-15 minutes and nothing can be easier than this raita recipe.

Cucumber: I have used finely chopped cucumber for the raita recipe. It adds tastes and bite to the raita.

Yogurt: I have used normal yogurt for the recipe. Whisk the yogurt nicely before adding any other ingredient.

Coriander leaves: It adds refreshing flavour to the raita.

Ground spices: I have used roasted cumin powder, chaat masala powder and black pepper powder to flavour up the cucumber raita recipe.

Salt: It adds saltiness and enhances the taste of the raita. You can add black salt too for the recipe.

• Healthy
• Gluten-free
• Kids friendly
• Flavoured & delicious
• Easy to make

Cucumber raita recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the recipe and the core ingredient of the recipe.

Yogurt contains probiotics, which are very good for our digestive system and helps us to get rid of constipation, bloating, etc. While we eat spicy food like pulao or biryani, it balances the taste of the spice with its sourness and cooling effect. It also helps our digestive system to digest these spicy foods.

Apart from this, it contains fresh raw vegetable cucumbers which not only enhances the taste of the meal but also has their own health benefit.

• Cucumber is low in calories and can be a great companion for the weight loss journey.
• It is full of water and contains several minerals and vitamins.
• It contains more than 90% of water and which helps us to be hydrated.
• It contains antioxidants that help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
• It is a good source of fiber which helps to get rid of constipation.

• Always use chilled yogurt to get the perfect texture of raita.
• Whisk the yogurt nicely till smooth before adding any other ingredient.
• You can adjust the spices according to your own preference.
• You can also add chopped green chillies to make the raita spicier.
• You can add mint leaves too for some extra flavour.

You can use any kind of cucumber to make the salad recipe. You can use normal cucumber, English cucumber and even Persian cucumber aka mini cucumbers for the recipe.

After preparing the raita, you can refrigerate it in an air-tight container for 2 days but not more than that because the fresh cucumber will get spoiled.

After preparing the raita, cover the container and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until serving. Serve it cold with your favourite spicy main course and enjoy.

Of course, you can use Greek yogurt for the recipe. If you feel the consistency of raita is too thick then add a little bit of water and mix it thoroughly.

Yes, you can go for any vegan yogurt if you want to prepare vegan raita.

Cucumber raita is a yogurt-based condiment where cucumber, yogurt, salt, and a few Indian spices are used to prepare.

To prepare the cucumber raita recipe, first, wash the cucumbers and peel off the skin. Then chop them evenly into small dices.

On the other hand, take chilled yogurt into a mixing bowl and whisk it evenly till smooth with a fork or whisker.

Add salt and all the ground spices into the yogurt and whisk it evenly.

Add the chopped cucumber and coriander leaves into the mixing bowl and mix it well.

Now cover the raita and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or until serving. Serve the cucumber raita for biryani in a bowl and garnish it with a little bit of red chilli powder.

Many easy condiment recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check some of them like

Vegetable raita
Fresh tomato salsa
Tahini coleslaw recipe

..And Many more…

1 Cup = 250 ml

• 1 cup Cucumber, small diced
• 1 cup Yogurt, chilled
• 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon roasted Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Chaat masala
• ¼ teaspoon black Pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• A pinch of red Chilli powder for garnishing

1. Wash the cucumbers and peel off the skin. Then chop them evenly into small dices.
2. On the other hand, take 1 cup of chilled yogurt into a mixing bowl and whisk it evenly till smooth with a fork or whisker.
3. Add ½ teaspoon salt into the bowl.
4. Add ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, one by one into the yogurt and whisk it evenly.
5. Add 1 cup chopped cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves into the mixing bowl and mix it well.
6. Now cover the raita and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or until serving.
7. Serve the cucumber raita for biryani into a bowl and garnish it with a little bit of red chilli powder.

Transfer the cucumber raita into a bowl. Always serve it chilled for the best taste with Biryani or Pulao rice.

Cucumber raita recipe | Cucumber raita for biryani | How to make cucumber raita

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 0 Minutes 0 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

1 Cup = 250 ml

• 1 cup Cucumber, small diced
• 1 cup Yogurt, chilled
• 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon roasted Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Chaat masala
• ¼ teaspoon black Pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• A pinch of red Chilli powder for garnishing

Instructions

1. Wash the cucumbers and peel off the skin. Then chop them evenly into small dices.
2. On the other hand, take 1 cup of chilled yogurt into a mixing bowl and whisk it evenly till smooth with a fork or whisker.
3. Add ½ teaspoon salt into the bowl.
4. Add ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, one by one into the yogurt and whisk it evenly.
5. Add 1 cup chopped cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves into the mixing bowl and mix it well.
6. Now cover the raita and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or until serving.
7. Serve the cucumber raita for biryani into a bowl and garnish it with a little bit of red chilli powder.