Cucumber raita

Name: Cucumber raita
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 400 ml yogurt; ½ cucumber, grated and lightly squeezed; 1 tsp cumin seeds, dry-toasted and ground; ½ tsp salt; 1 tbsp mint, finely chopped; 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped (optional); 1 pinch cayenne / chilli powder (optional)

Vegetarian

खीरे का रायता · kheere ka raita

Cool whisked yogurt with grated cucumber, toasted cumin and mint — the classic cooling side for biryani, pulao and spicy curries.

Cucumber raita is an Indian side dish, ready in about 12 minutes and made with yogurt and cucumber. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

Cucumber raita served with the garnishing of fresh coriander leaves — Photo: Sonia Goyal / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.0

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 2 min
Total: 12 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 71

Ingredients

4 servings

400 ml Yogurt (opens in a new tab)Swap: Greek yogurt (Thicker; loosen with a little water.)Contains milk
½ (150 g) Cucumber (opens in a new tab), grated and lightly squeezed
1 tsp (2 g) Cumin seeds (opens in a new tab), dry-toasted and ground
½ tsp (3 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 tbsp (1.5 g) Mint (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
1 tbsp (1 g) Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), chopped (optional)
1 pinch (0 g) Cayenne / chilli powder (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Toast the cumin seeds (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan for about a minute until fragrant and a shade darker, then grind them coarsely.
- 2 min
- medium heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels
2
Step 2
Whisk the yogurt (opens in a new tab) until smooth. Stir in the grated cucumber (opens in a new tab), most of the cumin, the salt and mint (opens in a new tab).
- 3 min
- Grater (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels
3
Step 3
Chill until needed, then sprinkle with the remaining cumin, coriander and a pinch of chilli powder.

About this dish

Origin: India · Commonly attributedYogurt raitas are eaten throughout India and Pakistan.Also popular in Pakistan, BangladeshMore food from India
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Dips & spreads
Cooking method: No-cook, Toasted
Taste: refreshing, tangy, creamy, mild
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with: Yogurt · Cucumber · Cumin seeds · Mint
Techniques: Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom yogurt

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

71 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 143 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 22%
Carbohydrate 35%
Fat 43%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	71 kcal	50 kcal
Protein	4 g	2.8 g
Carbohydrate	6.5 g	4.5 g
Net carbohydrate	6.2 g	4.3 g
Sugars	5.5 g	3.8 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.3 g	0.2 g
Fat	3.5 g	2.5 g
Saturated fat	2.2 g	1.5 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	14 mg	9 mg
Sodium	341 mg	238 mg
Salt equivalent	0.9 g	0.6 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 228 mg
Calcium: 138 mg
Iron: 0.6 mg
Magnesium: 20 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 31 µg
Vitamin C: 2 mg
Vitamin D: 0.1 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.4 µg
Folate (DFE): 10 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves, cayenne / chilli powder.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Squeeze the grated cucumber so the raita doesn't turn watery.

Common mistakes

Salting the raita long before serving — the cucumber weeps and it turns watery.

Serve with

Serve with biryani, pulao, parathas or any spicy curry.

Storage

Keeps 1 day refrigerated; the cucumber releases water over time.

Variations

Boondi raita: Stir in crisp fried chickpea-flour pearls just before serving.
Onion-tomato raita: Use finely chopped onion and tomato instead of cucumber.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Yogurt400 ml · 416 g
Cucumber, grated and lightly squeezed0.5 piece · 150 g

Used in step 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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