This cucumber mint raita has the perfect balance of creamy, salty, and tangy flavors with a hint of the freshness of mint.
Also known as pudina raita, this easy mint sauce is an accompaniment you’d find in any Indian restaurant, typically used as a cooling side.
Team it up with rice dishes like biryani or garlic turmeric rice, or serve this as a side to your homemade tandoori chicken or kebab.
If you love mint chutney, you’ll relish every bite of this delicious and easy mint raita - it’s a promise.
While there’s quite a bit of raita variety out there, this yogurt dip stands out for its incredible flavors.
Whenever I have some plain yogurt at hand, I always end up making this or my favorite mixed vegetable raita, dahi boondi, or some yogurt soup when I’m in the mood for something extra.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
Of all the raita recipes out there, this one has to be my absolute favorite, simply because of its simplicity.
Another big plus is the fact that this is a no-cook recipe that barely takes 5 minutes to put together, and yet, the result is so flavorful and versatile!
This restaurant-style mint raita is actually a great teammate to not just Indian rice recipes, but almost any Indian curry too! I love pairing it with my all-time favorite goat paya curry.
Ingredients For the Raita
Ready to make mint raita? You’ll need just a handful of pantry staples to put it together.
Yogurt: I used fresh, full-fat yogurt for this recipe. Since I used homeset yogurt, I drained off all the excess liquid and used the creamy, thick yogurt.
Cucumber: I used ripe, firm cucumbers for the raita. You can choose to de-seed and core them if you want to.
Garlic: Some fresh minced garlic can also amp up the flavors of this creamy side dish.
Lemon juice: A dash of lemon juice lends a nice tangy, freshness to the raita.
Mint leaves: The cucumber mint raita is made with fresh mint leaves. I used Indian mint because that’s just what I had at hand.
Cumin: Ground cumin lends an incredible aroma and flavor, which balances out the creaminess of the raita.
Seasonings: I used simple seasonings of crushed black pepper and some pink Himalayan salt to make pudina raita.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have homeset yogurt, you could also use Greek yogurt for this recipe. Just remember to use the unsweetened, unflavored version.
- If you don’t have the Himalayan salt that I used, you can totally stick to using regular salt too.
- Don’t want the bits of mint leaves in the raita? You can blend the leaves together with a splash of water in a small blender to create a mint paste, and then add it into the yogurt base.
- You could also use a mortar and pestle to do this for that authentic Indian flavor and texture.
How to Make the Cucumber Mint Raita
Once you have all the ingredients for the mint raita recipe ready, here’s the recipe with step-by-step photos to guide you through the process of putting it together.
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth.
Step 2: Dice the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces.
Step 3: Add the spices and lemon juice to the yogurt.
Step 4: Finely chop the fresh mint leaves.
Step 5: Add the mint leaves and cucumber to the yogurt.
Step 6: Mix well and let chill for 10-15 minutes.
Step 7: Serve and enjoy!
💭Top Tip
If you don’t have fresh mint leaves that the recipe calls for, you can use dried mint too! It is actually pretty easy to make dried mint from a huge batch of mint leaves and store it for later.
How to Store the Leftover Pudina Raita
If you have any leftover cucumber mint raita, you can refrigerate it for 2 days.
I would recommend using a food-safe airtight container to preserve its freshness, and not storing it beyond 2 days, as the yogurt can start to turn sour.
Also remember that since the raita packs in cucumber, it can start to turn watery over time.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Depending on the kind of yogurt you’re using for the recipe, you might want to whisk the yogurt until smooth. The creamy, smooth texture is an absolute must here.
- In addition to the fresh mint leaves, you can also choose to add some coriander leaves to the raita.
- To make this mint raita a bit more spicy, you can also chop up a green chili and add it to the mix.
- You can also add some chaat masala to the raita if you want to add an extra layer of flavor and deliciousness. Just about ½ teaspoon should work well.
How to Serve the Cucumber Mint Raita
Thanks to its versatility, there are actually quite a few ways to serve this mint raita. Here are a few good ideas to get you inspired.
With Grills
The creamy, cooling flavors of the raita make it the perfect teammate for your grilled meats and veggies. I love serving it with some malai chicken tikka, tandoori aloo, tandoori chicken, and any kabab for that matter.
As a Condiment
My favorite way to serve this raita is to turn it into a condiment that you can serve with your favorite snacks like crunchy pakoras and samosas.
With Rice Dishes
The classic, authentic way to serve this mint dip is to pair it with any spicy biryani and pulao dishes.
I always serve it with my homemade vegetable biryani or paneer biryani, and it turns out to be a family favorite and a total crowd-pleaser every single time.
FAQs
If you don’t have the roasted cumin powder that the recipe calls for, you can totally make it on your own using just some cumin seeds. Simply add a teaspoon of cumin seeds to a pan and dry roast it on medium heat until it becomes fragrant.
Cool it down, pulse it in a grinder, and you’re done!
More Indian Sides
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Cucumber mint raita or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cucumber Mint Raita
Ingredients
- 1 cup hung curd
- 1 cucumber cut into cubes
- ground pepper
- Pink Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 garlic grated
- 8-10 mint leaves chopped
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth.
- Dice the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the spices and lemon juice to the yogurt.
- Finely chop the fresh mint leaves.
- Add the mint leaves and cucumber to the yogurt.
- Mix well and let chill for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have homeset yogurt, you could also use Greek yogurt for this recipe. Just remember to use the unsweetened, unflavored version.
- If you don’t have the Himalayan salt that I used, you can totally stick to using regular salt too.
- Don’t want the bits of mint leaves in the raita? You can blend the leaves together with a splash of water in a small blender to create a mint paste, and then add it into the yogurt base.
- You could also use a mortar and pestle to do this for that authentic Indian flavor and texture.
