cucumber raita

This deliciously refreshing vegan cucumber mint raita is the perfect accompaniment for onion bhaji, biriyani, and lots of other Indian dishes. Cucumber raita is an Indian side dish or dip made of curd or yoghurt, with the addition of grated cucumber and chopped mint. A hint of spice and chili completes the dish, creating a delightful combination of cool and refreshing and mildly spicy flavours. For this recipe, we’ll be leaving the cows out of the equation and opting for cruelty-free soya yoghurt instead of dairy curd or yoghurt. Without compromising on flavour, of course!

Vegan cucumber mint raita – cool, creamy and simply delicious!

What is raita?

Basic raita is made of curd or yoghurt and mild spice powders with the addition of some kind of raw vegetable or fruit. Cucumber raita is also known as kheera raita, where keera (pronounced khīrā) means cucumber, and raita (pronounced rʌɪtə) means a South Asian dish consisting of yoghurt with very small pieces of raw vegetables. Raita is one of the most frequently chosen accompaniments for biriyani and pulao.

Some of the most popular kinds of raita are cucumber raita, carrot raita, boondi raita, tomato and onion raita and mango raita. Raita is refreshing and comforting to the palate and balances out the heat in spicy Indian foods. Cucumber and mint elevate the refreshing and cooling properties of simple raita, making it one of the most popular choices, especially in the summer.

Yoghurt vs curd – what’s the difference?

In India, raita is traditionally made using curd (known as dahi in Hindi). Curd and yoghurt are not the same thing and there are actually several differences between the two.

Curd is made by coagulating milk with edible acids like lemon juice and vinegar in a process known as curdling. 

Yoghurt, on the other hand, is made by fermenting milk using live strains of two bacteria: Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.  The bacteria reacts with the sugar present in milk. The reaction produces lactic acid which then reacts with the protein in the milk and forms yoghurt.

There are also nutritional differences. You can read more about the differences between curd and yoghurt here. This, of course, is irrelevant on a vegan food blog, but interesting nevertheless. Using the same basic principles, it’s possible to make vegan yoghurt and vegan curd.

What type of yoghurt or curd for vegan cucumber raita?

To simplify things, in this recipe we’ll be using store-bought vegan yoghurt. I recommend using unsweetened soya yoghurt and hanging it to drain off some of the whey. It’s quick and easy to do and it makes the yoghurt thick and creamy, which is what we want in our vegan cucumber raita.

You can use your favourite plant-based yoghurt for this recipe. However, I would definitely recommend using unsweetened yoghurt because cucumber raita is a savoury dip.

How to make vegan cucumber raita

Vegan cucumber raita is very quick and simple to make. If you’re in a hurry, you can just mix all the ingredients together, put the raita in a serving bowl, garnish and serve. I’ve done this many times. For excellent results, I recommend hanging the yoghurt.

Why hang yoghurt or curd?

In India, they hang their yoghurt or curd to drain some of the whey out of it. This makes it thick and creamy, similar to Greek yoghurt. In fact, the Greeks do the same thing. It’s very simple and easy to do and it makes such a difference. Especially when making cucumber raita, because cucumber has such a high water content. If you have time and want to go that extra mile, consider hanging the yoghurt.

How to hang yoghurt or curd

Put the yoghurt or curd in a cheesecloth or muslin, knot it and hang it over a container. Some people hang it over the sink, from a tap for example. I like to have my sink and tap free at all times, so I hang it over a tall container. I use something like a chopstick, the handle of a wooden spoon or a butter knife to hang it from.

Ingredients

• Unsweetened soya yoghurt
• Fresh cucumber
• Fresh mint
• Ground cumin seeds
• Cayenne pepper
• Unrefined sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

You’ll find the exact quantities, as well as step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe card below.

Tips

• Hang your yoghurt while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If you can drain off about 50 g/ml of whey from the 400 g/ml of yoghurt, that’s perfect. Even 40 g/ml will do. Hanging the yoghurt will make the raita thick and creamy.
• Put the grated cucumber into a sieve, or tilt the plate, and leave that to stand too – quite a lot of water will come out. Don’t squeeze it or salt it, though, because it will make the cucumber limp.

• Don’t salt the raita until you are ready to serve it. Salt will bring out the water in the cucumber due to the process of osmosis, which will result in watery raita.
• Keep the raita in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.

Procedure

• Hang the yoghurt (optional step)
• Peel the cucumber and grate or chop it. Leave it to drain (optional).
• Put the yoghurt and grated cucumber into a bowl.
• Chop the mint and add it to the yoghurt and cucumber.
• Add ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Add the salt just before serving.
• Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with mint and a sprinkling of cumin and/or cayenne pepper and serve chilled.

You’ll find the exact quantities, as well as step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe card below.

How to serve vegan cucumber raita

You can serve vegan cucumber raita as a cool and refreshing side dish or dip with many Indian foods. I think our absolute favourite way to serve it is with onion bhaji. I love those crispy little onion fritters dipped in this delicious vegan cucumber mint raita! The hot and spicy flavours of the onion bhaji go so well with cool cucumber raita! You can also serve it with biriyani, pulao, or any Indian dish you fancy, where you want to balance out the heat in the main dish. You can also dip naan bread, chapatis or poppadoms in this vegan cucumber raita – it makes a delicious snack!

How to store leftover vegan cucumber raita

Once you’ve added salt, the cucumber will leak water. However, even if the raita is a bit more watery, I still find it delicious the following day. You can store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. I usually polish it off as part of my lunch or a snack the day after – with leftovers from the Indian meal or a piece of crusty sourdough bread and a simple green salad.

Although some people say you can freeze raita, in my opinion, it’s not suitable for freezing.

I really hope you enjoy this vegan cucumber raita recipe as much as we do! If you do, would you consider giving it a star rating, and maybe leave a comment below? This is really useful for other readers and it also helps them to find my blog and recipes. I also really appreciate the feedback, which ultimately helps me make my recipes more successful.

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