Vegan Raita with Cucumber and Mint

Welcome to vegan raita. A place where the cucumbers sing, the herbs are fresh, the spices are delicate, and everything is happily dairy-free.

This chilled-out cucumber dip features a glorious blend of plant-based yoghurt, toasted cumin seeds, zesty lime, and sweet mint for a vibrant side to help cool down that curry or drizzle over your favourite roasted veg.

Looking for more vegan recipes with cucumber? Check out this three-bean salad, Asian-style cucumber salad, cucumber stir-fry, or these vegan cucumber sandwiches.

What is raita?

Raita is an Indian side dish traditionally made with yoghurt, raw or cooked vegetables or fruit, fresh herbs, and spices. It is intended to have a cooling effect that counters the heat of spicy dishes such as curries.

To make raita vegan, it's simply a case of swapping out the traditional dairy yoghurt for a plant-based alternative.

Raita v tzatziki

Raita is an Indian yoghurt dish that might feature different spices, fruits, and vegetables (with cucumber being just one option). Tzatziki is a Greek dish made with thicker yoghurt and almost always includes cucumber and fresh herbs.

Which herbs work?

I've used a vibrant combination of fresh mint and coriander. You could use just one of these, replace with another herb such as parsley or chives, or omit them altogether.

I've also made raita with dried mint, which worked pretty well in place of its fresh counterpart.

What you'll need

This cucumber raita recipe combines fresh ingredients with subtle spices for a delicious dairy-free dip. You'll need:

• Dairy-free yoghurt (I used a soy-based product)
• Cucumber for flavour and freshness along with the lime
• Spices in the form of toasted cumin seeds and garam masala
• Fresh herbs (I used a combination of mint and coriander)

How to make vegan raita with cucumber

Heat a pan on medium heat without any cooking oil, then add the cumin seeds and move the pan regularly.

After a minute or so, the seeds should start to gently brown and release their aroma. Turn off the heat and set aside in a bowl.

Grate the cucumber and lightly squeeze over a sink to remove excess water. Add to a bowl with the cumin seeds.

To the same bowl, add the yoghurt, lime juice, salt, garam masala, and chopped mint and/or coriander.

Mix well to combine. Adjust the flavours to taste, adding any extra lime, salt, or garam masala.

Serve and enjoy.

Serving suggestions

Vegan raita provides a cooling side for curry dishes such as chickpea biryani, mushroom biryani, tofu jalfrezi, chana masala, sweet potato dal, or aubergine curry – don't forget to include some pilau rice for good measure.

This cucumber dip also works well with baked potato wedges, drizzled over other veg such as roasted cauliflower, or alongside spinach couscous.

Variations and tips for cucumber raita

• Ground cumin: If you don't have cumin seeds, you could replace one teaspoon of these with around ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin and adjust to taste.
• Dried mint: I've tried making raita with dried mint with decent results. If using this, start with around one level teaspoon and adjust up from there to taste.
• Garlic: If you want to include garlic, start with one minced clove and adjust to taste.

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

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More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Asian-Inspired Cucumber Salad
• Vegan Waldorf Salad
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Crispy Baked Falafel
• Vegan Cucumber Sandwiches
• Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms
• Potato and Spinach Curry
• Vegan Rainbow Slaw

You can also check out my full list of vegan dips and snacks.