Cucumber Raita
A refreshing Indian raita with crisp cucumber, smooth yogurt and fragrant roasted cumin, perfect for balancing spicy dishes.
Ingredients
- plain yogurt400 g
- cucumber2 pcs
- ground cumin1 tsp
- red chili powder0.25 tsp
- fresh cilantro1 tbsp
- salt1 to taste
Instructions
Take the plain yogurt out of the fridge and transfer it to a bowl; whisk until smooth and creamy.
Rinse the cucumbers, peel if the skin is thick, make sure they aren't bitter, then finely chop or grate them.
If using grated cucumber, gently squeeze out the excess juice so the raita doesn't turn watery; chopped cucumber doesn't need squeezing.
Toast the cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, let cool, then grind; measure out 1 tsp of ground cumin.
Add the cucumber, ground cumin, red chili powder, salt and finely chopped cilantro to the yogurt; stir gently to combine.
Chill the raita for 10 minutes, sprinkle with a pinch of ground cumin if desired, and serve fresh as an accompaniment to biryani, pilaf or paratha.
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