A refreshing Cucumber Raita Recipe For Biryani made from chopped cucumber, greek yoghurt and flavoured with cayenne pepper, and roasted cumin seeds. It makes a perfect accompaniment for any Indian meal, specially biryanis.
Cucumber Raita Recipe For Biryani
This simple cucumber raita recipe is simple to make, healthy and most importantly it tastes amazing! It’s a great dip or condiment to have spicy, and grilled foods. Including kebabs, samosas, and onion bhajis just to name a few.
You can also shred the cucumber if you prefer, however, if you do this make sure that you squeeze out some of the water from the cucumber so your raita is not runny.
What ingredients are in raita?
Cucumber – you can grate or shred the cucumber. If shredding makes sure to remove the excess water from the cucumber by squeezing it out or patting it with a paper towel. Believe it or not there a few varieties of cucumbers, and I prefer to use Kirkby cucumbers which are commonly sold in supermarkets here in Spain. They are crunchy and not as watery as the normal seedless cucumbers.
Greek yoghurt – A raita should be thick so Greek yoghurt is perfect for this recipe. You can use other natural yoghurts but the sauce might be a little bit runnier.
Toasted cumin – Adding roasted cumin powder to this dip will give it some depth. Not too much though, you don’t want the cumin to be too prominent if you are serving the raita with spicy food.
Cayenne pepper – It gives the raita a little kick and slight colour.
Coriander– This is completely optional, but I love coriander so I add loads of it!
Mint– Finely chopped mint gives the raita a refreshing taste.
Salt & pepper – Season to your preference.
What to serve with raita?
Raitas are great with kebabs, curries and especially lamb biryanis! It’s a common side dish for many Indian and Pakistani dishes.
How to make a simple cucumber raita for biryani
This recipe literally takes 5 minutes to make, all you need is 125g of chopped cucumbers, add them in a bowl of thick greek yoghurt and mix in the toasted cumin, cayenne pepper, coriander, mint and finish off with a bit of salt and pepper.
Tips On How To Make A Good Cucumber Raita
- Use good quality thick greek yoghurt for creamy and thick raita.
- A good raita should be creamy and thick, if you find the cucumbers to be watery, you can always take off the soft centre or squeeze the cucumber before using.
- The great thing about this side dish is that it can be made a day in advance. It’s fine to leave in the fridge until it’s ready to use.
- You can add red or spring onions if you wish or add some toasted whole cumin seeds for a little more flavour and bite.
- It’s not recommended to freeze raita, as the yoghurt will split and the cucumber will lose its texture.
- Sometimes coriander is used instead of mint, it depends on your taste and what type of food you are serving it with.
Cucumber Raita For Biryanis
Simple to make cucumber raita, a great dip for many Indian dishes and a great accompaniment for any biryani dish.
Ingredients
- 125g chopped cucumber
- 170g plain greek yoghurt
- 1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper
- 4g chopped mint
Instructions
- Rinse, peel and chop the cucumber. You can also grate them it depends on your preference.
- On a hot pan toast ½ tsp of whole cumin seeds for a couple of minutes.
- In a large bowl pour in the yoghurt and add the cucumber, cayenne, cumin, pepper, salt, pepper, and half of the chopped mint.
- Stir well making sure it's all combined together.
- For better results, place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 73Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 10gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 5g
