Raita is a traditional Indian condiment made with yogurt, cucumbers, onions, and spices. Serve it with your favorite Indian dish to balance the heat!
Indian food is a staple in our weeknight dinner rotation. We love to make dishes from all over the globe! Some of our other favorites are Italian, Mexican, Asian, and Greek.

Raita
I was first introduced to Indian cuisine by my dear friend Meena. She is from India and when we first became friends she invited us over for dinner. She cooked the most amazing Indian dishes for us! I loved all the flavors, but since we are not used to eating a lot of spicy foods (some people in our family think ketchup is spicy), our mouths were on fire! Luckily, Meena also makes amazing Raita and she told us that you can use the cold, creamy sauce to cool things down a bit. Now, we eat enough Indian food that we have developed more of a tolerance to spice, but we still like to order a side of Raita because it is so yummy!
What are the ingredients of Raita?
- To make Raita, you start with a base of plain yogurt. You can use greek yogurt and I have seen some recipes with sour cream, but for our recipe we use just plain regular yogurt.
- Then you add the cucumber and onion. The cucumber should be peeled and seeded. I like to use red onion, but you can use white as well. I have seen some recipes with carrots too.
- Lastly, you add the spices. Cilantro is a must! It adds so much freshness to the Raita. We also like to add ground coriander. Some people add cumin as well.

What Do You Eat Raita With?

Raita is delicious on any Indian dish, but we love to serve it on Chicken Tikka Masala.
FAQ’s
Raita is a traditionally Indian condiment, and Tzatziki is a traditionally Greek dish. However, both start with the same base – yogurt, cucumbers, and onions. The difference comes in the spice profile. Raita has cilantro and coriander. Tzatziki has dill and lemon.
More Recipes Indian-Inspired Recipes
Chicken Coconut Korma Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Mulligatawny Soup
- Chicken Coconut Korma
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Traditional Chicken Tikka Masala
- Mulligatawny Soup

How to Make Raita
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients until combined.
- Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
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I like you, love trying foods from all over! I will be making this again. It was a hit! Naan is perfect with it!
I don’t make a lot of Indian food, but this is something I can get used to making. Very flavorful! I am excited to try lots of things with it!
We love to dip crackers or Naan bread in this raita! The combination of flavors is perfections! So creamy and savory!