Indian Cucumber Raita ~ Perfect Side Dish for Almost Anything (Vegan option)

The Indian side dish, raita, has been served for thousands of years as a cooling food with dietary benefits. It is offered in most Indian and Nepali restaurants and is very easy to make at home. A trip to an Indian market to purchase authentic Indian yogurt (such as Gopi Indian Yogurt) is well worth a trip. Follow the easy directions below for a refreshing, delicious condiment that pairs well with any meat or vegetable dish.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups Indian yogurt (dahi), or Greek yogurt if not available, or non-dairy greek-style yogurt of choice for vegan

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground in mortar and pestle, or ground cumin powder

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Fresh mint for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the cucumber and trim the ends; peel. Grate on a box grater. Put in a bowl and add the salt. Mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes. Wrap the cucumber slivers in paper towels (or cloth) and squeeze out the liquid. Repeat if necessary.

2. If using cumin seeds, heat a small frying pan to medium. Fry the seeds stirring constantly until they start to pop. Place them in a mortar and grind the seeds as finely as possible; set aside.

3. Put the yogurt in a medium bowl. Add the ground cumin and stir. Add the cucumber and mint. Mix and taste for personal preference.

4. Place the raita in a covered food container and put in the refrigerator to chill, about 3 hours. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Makes about 6 side servings.

#indiancooking #raita #cucumber #sidedish #cumin #cuminseeds #mortarandpestle #easyrecipe

Recipe adapted from discussion with chef at Himalayan Kitchen Marin.

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.