Indian Yogurt Sauce for Biryani & Pulao (Easy Raita Recipe)
A refreshing Indian yogurt sauce (raita) made with yogurt, fresh vegetables, and spices. This version uses a special step of washing chopped veggies for a clean, restaurant-style look.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup yogurt
- ¼ cup cucumber deseeded, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato deseeded, chopped
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup carrot grated
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves chopped, optional
- 1 green chili optional, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt start with ¼ tsp, adjust as needed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin roasted
Instructions
- Prepare the yogurt base: Add yogurt to a mixing bowl. Whisk well until smooth and creamy.1 cup yogurt
- Chop the vegetables: Finely chop the cucumber, tomato, onion, cilantro, and green chili. Grate the carrot.
- Wash and refresh the chopped veggies: Place the chopped vegetables in a bowl of water. Gently wash them to reduce raw onion flavor and remove excess color. Drain and squeeze lightly so the raita stays thick and the yogurt remains white.¼ cup cucumber, ¼ cup tomato, ¼ cup onion, ¼ cup carrot, 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon mint leaves, 1 green chili
- Combine everything: Add the drained vegetables to the whisked yogurt. Sprinkle ground cumin and salt.¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Mix and Serve: Mix gently until all the flavors come together. Serve it with your favorite Indian food. I like to pair this with Lentil pulao and Kidney beans pulao for a comforting weekend meal.
Notes
Tested Tips from My Kitchen:
- Washing the chopped veggies is a restaurant-style trick that keeps the raita white and reduces raw onion flavor. I learned this from my aunt, who does food catering.
- Use Greek yogurt for a thicker consistency and serve as a dip with naan or chapati.
- For the vegan version, use coconut or almond yogurt.
- Add ¼ cup milk if preparing ahead of time to prevent sourness.
- Wash and squeeze veggies well to avoid watery raita.
- Variations: Try boondi, tomato, beetroot, spinach, onion, or mint raitas.
Nutrition
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1544IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 0.3mg
