How To Make Indian Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce: Raita

Oh, do I ever have a sauce for you today! Raita is just the sort of cooling, contrasting sauce that all of your summer grilling food needs. Warm with cumin, and studded with crisp cucumber and fresh cilantro, this yogurt sauce is welcome on everything from naan-wiches to grilled watermelon. This warm-weather-friendly sauce is one we think you should know by heart, for making all year long.

Raita is mixture of yogurt, fruits or vegetables, and fresh herbs and spices used a sauce or condiment. Indian raita is commonly made with dahi, a salted yogurt, and chopped cucumbers spiced with cumin or mustard seeds and fresh herbs. Variations abound, including those made with mango, tomato, or red onion in addition to or instead of the cucumber.

Yogurt, however, is not optional. Chatting with Deepa Thomas, author of Deepa’s Secrets: Slow Carb New Indian Cuisine, I learned the importance of raita in Indian cuisine — for flavor and health. “Raita is an anchor piece of Indian table and home cooking, not just because of its cooling affect on spicy food, but also because it aids in digestion.”

• Use fresh toasted and ground spices. Look, I love my pre-ground spices for most weeknight cooking, but raita really does taste better when you toast the spices just before making it. Spices like whole mustard seeds can be left intact or ground.
• Grate and drain the cucumber. Use the large holes of a box grater to “cut” the cucumber for raita and squeeze as much moisture out of the cucumber as possible by gathering it in a clean kitchen towel and wringing the towel around the cucumber. Don’t discard that cucumber liquid — it makes a damn fine lemonade addition.
• Season the yogurt well. Since traditional raita is made with dahi or salted yogurt, it is essential that your plain grocery store yogurt gets a healthy dose of salt before serving the raita.

Raita and tzatziki share two similar base ingredients and some similar steps, but they are distinctly different. First, raita starts with dahi, a thinner salted yogurt, while tzatziki starts with thicker plain Greek yogurt. Tzatziki also has a heavy dose of lemon juice, making it decidedly more tangy than raita. Both pair well with heavily spiced, toasted, and grilled foods and can be served as either a dip or condiment.

We’re all sort of obsessed with serving raita on this naan-wich, but at home I love serving it over grilled salmon or on curried sweet potatoes. You can smear raita onto sandwiches or wraps or even just on top of naan bread for a quick snack. Spoon raita onto soups or curries just before serving or over quickly scrambled eggs in the morning.