Raita Facts for Kids

For other uses, see Raita (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Raita
Cucumber and mint raita
Alternative names	रायता, রায়তা Pachadi
Course	Condiment
Region or state	Indian subcontinent with regional variations
Associated national cuisine	India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal
Serving temperature	Cold
Main ingredients	Dahi (yogurt), buttermilk, cucumber, mint
Variations	Dahi chutney, Pachadi
Food energy (per serving)	46 kcal (193 kJ)

Raita is a yummy side dish from Indian cuisine. It's made with a special kind of yogurt called dahi. People mix this yogurt with fresh or cooked vegetables, and sometimes even fruit! There's also a fun type called boondi raita, which has tiny fried drops made from chickpea flour.

Think of raita like a cool dip or a fresh salad. It's often called a condiment, but it's different from spicy sauces like mustard. Instead, raita helps cool your mouth down. This is super helpful when you're eating spicy curryes or kebabs, which are popular in many Asian countries. In India, people often eat raita with flatbreads, chutneys, and pickles.

The yogurt in raita gets its flavor from different spices and herbs. Common ones include coriander, roasted cumin seeds, mint, cayenne pepper, and chaat masala.

What's in a Name?
How to Make Raita
Different Kinds of Raita
How Raita is Served
- As a Side Dish
- Other Uses (Not Traditional)
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name?

The word raita first appeared in books around the 1800s. It comes from the Hindi language. The name raita in Bengali language and Hindi is a mix of two older words. One is rajika (or rai), which means black mustard seed. The other is tiktaka, meaning sharp or strong.

In South India, especially in places like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, a similar traditional dish is called pachadi.

In eastern Nepal, this dish is known as dahi kakro, which means "Yogurt cucumber." In western Nepal, it's called raito. Sometimes, people just call it dahi because yogurt is the main ingredient.

How to Make Raita

To make raita, people often start by frying cumin seeds and black mustard seeds. This process is called tempering. Then, they mix these fried spices with chopped raw vegetables or fruits. Common additions include cucumber, onion, carrot, pineapple, or papaya. All of this is then mixed with the yogurt.

Sometimes, fresh ginger and garlic paste, or green chili paste, are added for extra flavor. You might even find mustard paste in some recipes.

Raita recipes can be different depending on the region in India. Some popular types are boondi raita, which has small fried balls of chickpea flour that can be salty or spicy. There are also onion raita and vegetable raita. Raita is always served chilled. It's perfect for cooling your mouth when you're enjoying spicy Indian food.

Different Kinds of Raita

Raitas can be made with three main types of ingredients: vegetables, pulses (like beans or lentils), and fruits. These are all mixed with yogurt and flavored with different seasonings to create many tasty varieties.