Vegan raita - Indian yoghurt side dish - easy recipe

This vegan raita is a must on your dinner table if you are an Indian food lover. Raita is a cooling yoghurt side dish / condiment made with cucumber, red onions, cumin and garam masala powder and fresh mint and coriander. It is a great accompaniment to any curry or other favourite spicy dishes of yours and it also pairs well with falafel and Middle Eastern recipes. This vegan raita is a healthy side dish as it's dairy-free and oil-free so feel free to enjoy a generous portion of this Indian yoghurt sauce. It's bursting with fresh ingredients and flavour and I cannot imagine a proper Indian feast without it!

WHAT IS RAITA?

Raita is something between yoghurt salad and a condiment, and I can't imagine a proper Indian feast without it. It is made of yoghurt and fresh salad vegetables (mostly cucumber and red onion) and fresh mint and coriander and it may be also seasoned with roasted cumin seeds, garam masala, cayenne pepper and other herbs and spices. It is often referred to as a sauce/condiment, but as opposed to most condiments in western cuisines that make dishes spicier, in Indian cuisine raita is supposed to have a cooling effect to balance spicy curries.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF THIS CONDIMENT

Raita comes in so many different variations. You can throw so many different salad veggies and herbs into this yoghurt side dish. You can even make sweet fruit raita (for example, with mango or pomegranate seeds). Here are some more common raita recipe examples:

• cucumber raita
• beetroot raita
• carrot raita
• onion tomato raita
• mint and peanut raita
• spinach raita
• dill raita
• mango raita
• pomegranate raita

WAIT, IS RAITA KIND OF LIKE GREEK TZATZIKI?

What's the difference between raita and tzatziki, exactly? That is an excellent question. They both seem remarkably similar, right? Basically, they must be siblings 😀

• Greek Tzatziki is always made with cucumbers whereas Indian raita also uses so many other raw salad vegetables like carrots, onions, tomatoes...
• Tzatziki almost always has olive oil as an ingredient in the recipe and raita is always oil-free.
• Tzatziki is made of thick Greek yoghurt and raita is supposed to be maid from Indian curd but it's true when we try to veganise both of these side dishes that point doesn't matter that much as we are going to use dairy-free alternatives anyway.
• Both side dishes call for a lot of fresh herbs: raita usually for fresh coriander and mint (sometimes dill in some variations) whereas tzatziki always has dill and sometimes mint in ingredients.
• Tzatziki is supposed to be rather mild whereas raita is more likely to include a spicy element (cumin, cayenne pepper or ginger).

LET'S MAKE A VEGAN RAITA - IT'S SO EASY!

It has never been easier to veganise this popular Indian side dish, with so many dairy-free yoghurt alternatives available. For this recipe, try to use thick, plain unsweetened soy yoghurt - I find it has a great neutral flavour which is perfect for using in savoury dishes. Feel free to experiment with coconut yoghurt also - coconut raita is definitely a thing - you could also add some shredded coconut - coconut raita is a common variant in South India and Sri Lanka. Definitely, more raita recipes are coming - brace yourselves!

So I would like to open this little raita series with this basic cucumber onion raita. My ex introduced me to this simple combination and now it's my favourite. This vegan raita pairs well with pretty much anything that has a bit of coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder in it. It's just a perfect accompaniment for any curry. Who am I kidding, this raita tastes so great even on its own? So don't be surprised if you catch me eating it straight from the bowl, standing in front of my refrigerator, at four o'clock in the morning 🙂

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

You will love this yoghurt side dish because it makes everything taste even more amazing! The cooling effect of cucumber, fresh mint and yoghurt will balance any spicy curry so it can really save you from any unplanned chilli and spice incidents 🙂 This vegan raita is bursting with flavour and fresh ingredients and it's literally the healthiest condiment so you can enjoy quite a few tablespoons totally guilt-free. It's oil-free and gluten-free and it takes only five minutes to prepare. Seriously though. This raita is such a great and healthy alternative to your usual salad bowls. Very often, we decide to drown our tomatoes and cucumber in a pint of olive oil, so this oil-free raita is such a nice healthy option. Just try it, and there is no going back. I have it also with non-Indian dishes. That's how amazing it is. What's not to love?

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED

• cucumber
• red onion
• green chillies
• unsweetened plain soya yoghurt
• fresh coriander
• fresh mint leaves
• garam masala powder
• cumin powder
• ground black pepper
• pink Himalayan salt
• a splash of lemon juice
• To garnish:
• fresh coriander and mint, finely chopped
• toasted cumin seeds (optional)
• pomegranate seeds

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• Pretty self-explanatory: simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well-combined. This is an easy, lazy recipe that calls for just finely chopped herbs and vegetables. We're not going to peel, grate or deseed a cucumber or anything like that. You can, if you want to, but I find that finely chopped cucumber also works very well. There is no need to go through all that hassle with peeling, deseeding and draining grated cucumber from excess water plus I like that my lazy version is zero waste.
• Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh mint, coriander, toasted cumin seeds and (optional) pomegranate seeds.

For the full ingredient list, exact measurements, complete recipe method, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom.

ANY LEFTOVERS?

Leftovers will keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

As this vegan raita is all about fresh ingredients and herbs, this recipe is definitely not suitable for freezing.

THIS RAITA IS:

• 100% vegan (as it's made with dairy-free yoghurt)
• gluten-free
• a refreshing, yoghurt-based sauce
• a healthy, oil-free side dish
• is a cooling side dish perfectly balancing spicy curries
• going to taste great with any Indian or Middle Eastern meal
• quick and easy vegan recipe - it comes together in just five minutes
• requires only a handful of simple ingredients
• bursting with fresh herbs and flavour
• a must on the dinner table for any Indian food lover

IT'S A GREAT ACCOMPANIMENT TO ANY INDIAN OR MIDDLE EASTERN DISH. TRY IT WITH ONE OF THOSE VEGAN CURRY RECIPES:

Vegan keema aloo matar - vegan mince curry with potatoes and green peas - nowadays thanks to so many amazing vegan mince alternatives available, vegans get to enjoy this a cruelty-free version of this popular Indian recipe.

Chana masala - chickpea curry - sometimes all you need is a huge bowl of good old chana masala.

Aloo gobi - easy vegan potato cauliflower curry.

Vegan beetroot curry - if you love beetroot and if you love curry, you're going to be obsessed with this recipe!

Vegan chickpea tikka masala - chickpeas cooked in rich tomato coconut gravy, spiced to perfection.

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