Five-Minute Cucumber Raita

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The cooling yogurt side that makes any curry better — and the two moves that separate a great raita from a watery one. Salting and squeezing the cucumber keeps the yogurt thick for hours, and toasting whole cumin seeds before crushing them gives you a smoky depth that pre-ground powder never delivers. Five minutes of actual work, and it only improves in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 large English cucumber (about 12 oz)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, for drawing out water

• 1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander seeds (optional)

• 2 cups whole-milk plain yogurt (not Greek, or see tips)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp cayenne or Kashmiri chile powder
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 serrano or green Thai chile, seeded and minced (optional)
• 2 tbsp finely minced red onion or shallot

Instructions

1. Trim the ends off the cucumber. Grate it on the large holes of a box grater (skin on for color and texture), or halve lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a spoon, and dice into 1/4-inch pieces. Grated gives you a creamy, sauce-like raita; diced gives you crunch — either is correct.
2. Toss the cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander set over a bowl and let it sit 10 minutes. This is the step that keeps your raita from turning into cucumber soup an hour later.
3. Meanwhile, toast the cumin seeds (and coriander seeds, if using) in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly, for 60–90 seconds — until they darken a shade, smell nutty, and a few seeds start to pop. Immediately dump them onto a plate so they stop cooking. Burnt cumin is bitter and unfixable.
4. Crush the toasted seeds in a mortar and pestle, or on a cutting board under the flat bottom of a heavy pan or the side of a chef's knife. Leave it slightly coarse — you want a little texture. Reserve a big pinch for garnish.
5. Gather the salted cucumber in your hands or in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over the sink. You should get 1/4 to 1/2 cup of liquid out. Squeeze again until it stops dripping.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon salt, the sugar, and the crushed cumin until completely smooth and pourable, about 20 seconds. Whisking first, before the solids go in, is what gives you a silky base instead of a lumpy one.
7. Fold in the squeezed cucumber, cilantro, mint, minced chile if using, and red onion. Taste and adjust salt — raita needs more salt than you'd expect to read as seasoned against rich food.
8. Transfer to a serving bowl, smooth the top, and dust with the reserved crushed cumin and the cayenne. Serve cold. It's ready immediately, but 30 minutes in the fridge lets the flavors settle.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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