Raita
Indian food
title: "Raita" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["indian-condiments", "uttar-pradeshi-cuisine", "mughlai-cuisine", "telangana-cuisine", "bengali-cuisine", "punjabi-cuisine", "bihari-cuisine", "yogurt-based-dishes", "kerala-cuisine", "pakistani-condiments", "fijian-cuisine"] description: "Indian food" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raita" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Indian food ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Raita |
| image | Cucumber-raita.jpg |
| caption | Cucumber raita |
| region | Indian subcontinent with regional variations |
| associated_cuisine | Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Nepali |
| course | Condiment |
| served | Cold |
| main_ingredient | Dahi (yogurt), buttermilk, cucumber, mint |
| variations | Dahi chutney, Pachadi |
| calories | 46 |
| :: |
| name = Raita | image = Cucumber-raita.jpg | caption = Cucumber raita | region = Indian subcontinent with regional variations | associated_cuisine = Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Nepali | course = Condiment | served = Cold | main_ingredient = Dahi (yogurt), buttermilk, cucumber, mint | variations = Dahi chutney, Pachadi | calories = 46
Raita is a side dish and condiment in Indian cuisine made of dahi (yogurt or "curd") together with raw or cooked vegetables, fruit, or pulses. The yogurt may be seasoned with herbs and spices such as coriander, roasted cumin seeds, mint, and cayenne pepper.
Raita is served alongside many Indian dishes such as pulao rice, and as a mild cooling accompaniment to spicy curries.
Etymology
The word raita first appeared in print around the 19th century; it comes from the Hindi language. The word raita in Bengali and Hindi is a portmanteau of the Sanskrit word rajika or the derivative Hindi rai (pronounced "ra-ee") meaning black mustard seed, and tiktaka, meaning sharp or pungent.
In South India, especially Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, traditional raita is called pachadi.
In Eastern Nepal, the dish is known as dahi kakro (), whereas in western regions of Nepal it is known as raito.
Dish
Spices such as cumin (hi) and black mustard (hi) are fried. This tempering is mixed with minced, raw vegetables or fruits (such as cucumber, onion, carrot, beetroot, tomato, pineapple, or pomegranate) and yogurt.
Raita is served as a side dish to be eaten with main course dishes, from pulao to curries.
Variants
Raitas can be varied by using any of three types of ingredient as its base: vegetables, pulses, or fruits. These are mixed with yogurt and flavoured with a variety of seasonings to make different types of raita. A commonly made version is cucumber raita. Seasonal ingredients include goosefoot or lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album), used in wintertime in Haryana to make bathua ka raita. Among the many regional variants is chukauni, potato raita, made in Nepal. It is flavoured with onion and coriander, and eaten with dishes such as batuk, fritters of black lentils.
File:Kheere Ka Raita (cropped).JPG|Cucumber raita File:Beetroot carrot raita picture.JPG|Beetroot and carrot raita File:Egg Kothu Chapathi with Onion Raitha-Thoothukudi-Tamil Nadu-DED 010 (cropped).jpg|Onion raita File:Boondhi raita picture.JPG|Chickpea raita File:Pomegranate raita (cropped).jpg|Pomegranate raita
References
References
- Sedgwick, Fred. (2009). "Where words come from: A dictionary of word origins". Continuum International Publishing.
- "Raita". Merriam Webster.
- "How To Make South-Indian-Style Tomato Raita".
- "स्थानीय उत्पादनको प्रवद्र्धन : पाहुनालाई घिउ, मह र मकैको रोटी". Naya Patrika.
- "सुदूरको स्याउली थाप्ने चलन लोप हुँदै".
- Mehta Gambhir, Aloka. (25 May 2011). "Tandoori chicken with Tomato Raita". [[The Times of India]].
- (2009). "Cultural Food Practices". American Dietetic Association.
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Delhi. (1986). "Basic Food Preparation". Orient Longman.
- (2025). "Lamb's Quarters (Bathua)".
- Khanal, Prashanta. (28 August 2020). "The culture, history and recipe of batuk". [[The Kathmandu Post]].
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