Amongst non-Indians, Cucumber Raita must be the most well known accompaniment to Indian meals. It is not a surprise, really. It is a tasty and cooling dish that easily cuts through the heat of Indian food. Because of it’s popularity, the wealth of different Raita and Pachadis (Sth India’s version of the raita) sadly do not feature in restaurants.

In Summer, in this 42C heat of recent days, even we reach for this cucumber cooling goodness. I hope you enjoy it.

Similar recipes include Cucumber and Tomato Raita with Lemon-Chilli Paste, Cucumber Pachadi with Coconut, Spinach Pachadi, and Carrot Sambol.

Browse all of our Pachadi and Raita. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials here. Or browse our Mid Summer collection of recipes.

Cucumber Raita

ingredients

2 cups Desi or Greek yoghurt

1 cucumbers, peeled

1 tspn ghee

1 tspn cumin seeds

0.5 tspn brown mustard seeds

sea salt

coriander leaves, to garnish

method

Whisk the yoghurt with the salt.

Split the peeled cucumbers in half lengthwise, and using a teaspoon, run it along to length of each piece to remove the seeds. Grate the cucumber and mix it through the yoghurt.

Make a tadka with the ghee, mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and pour over the yoghurt.

Garnish with the coriander leaves if desired.

recipe notes and alternatives

Rather than make a tadka, omit the mustard seeds. Roast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until golden and a nice aroma arises. Grind to a powder and mix into the yoghurt with the cucumber.

Save