Name: Cucumber Raita
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp low-fat natural yogurt; 1/4 cucumber (around 30 g); 6-8 mint leaves, finely chopped; few sprigs coriander, finely chopped; 1/4 tsp garam masala

Question 1

Where is it from?

Accepted Answer

Raita hails from the Indian subcontinent. In a nation where food as standard is hot and spicy, a cooling dressing is an absolute must. There are multiple ways you can eat it. Try it with a pickle plate along with some crispy poppadoms, or spooned directly over a hot curry.

Question 2

Can it be frozen?

Accepted Answer

Raita is not a good contender for freezing. When you freeze yogurt it typically separates, so you'll end up with something resembling mush with a layer of milky water over it. You can mix it to combine, but it can often end up tasting more bitter after freezing. The cucumber used in this recipe also does not help with the freezing process as it contains a high water content.

Question 3

Can you make it in advance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can make it up to 3 days in advance (providing that the use-by date on the yogurt is longer than that). However, the longer you leave it the more watery it will become. The juices from the cucumber will thin the raita out. If you want to prevent this then I suggest halving the cucumber before adding, and using a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds which will reduce some of the liquidity of the mixture.

Question 4

Can you make raita with sour cream?

Accepted Answer

Although not traditional, you can use sour cream instead of yogurt in raita although the taste will be 'sharper'. As sour cream is thicker than natural yogurt, it will also be less refreshing as it is denser overall. Feel free to experiment with different options though to find what you like best.

Cucumber Raita

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition