Banana Cucumber Raita

Recipe: Banana Cucumber Raita
Banana Cucumber Raita is a flavourful and cooling side dish which is a little sweetish and tangy too. Enjoy it with biryani or on its own as a salad.
What is a Raita?
Raita is a yogurt based dish which is usually served as an accompaniment to a main dish. Usually, raitas are made using vegetables like bottle gourd, radish, cucumber, beetroot and fruits like banana, pomegranate, grapes, pineapple, etc. However, that does not mean a raita is limited to those ingredients. These days there are so many different types of raita that are prepared. In fact, the most common raita you will find served with biryanis and pulao is a boondi raita or onion raita. Boondi is fried little pearl like balls made from a chickpea flour batter. Boondi is added to the spiced yogurt base.
How is Raita Served?
Raita is served as a side dish or accompaniment to a main dish. Usually any Indian Thali Meal will have a raita or chaas. Serving raita with a rice dish is common. Sometimes, we enjoy a raita as a healthy light meal or even serve it as a dip.
Banana Cucumber Raita
I’ve grown up enjoying banana cucumber raita. My mum this one frequently, especially whenever she made some tuvar ni dar. My grandfather always use to say ” there should be enough mustard powder in the raita so that when one eats it, the mustard should be pungent enough to tickle your nose.”
Different Types of Raita you can try out:
- Baigan/ Eggplant Raita – the eggplant is roasted, peeled and mashed. Its tempered with some spices, onion and garlic, then added to the yogurt.
- Pomegranate and Cucumber Raita – I like to have this simple and very flavorful raita on its own as a light meal
- Priya’s sweet potato and coconut raita is on my list to try – Sakkaravalli Kizhangu Pachadi
- Try out Jolly’s Sweet Raita with fruits and spices.
- Add chow chow or Chayote to yogurt as Preethi does – Chow Chow Raita
- Archana loves her Cauliflower Salad/ Raita with Prawn Khichdi
- Priya Iyer’s Methi Raita is so delish. Its a must try recipe where she has added fresh fenugreek in yogurt with garlic. Best ever combination.
- I love Boondi Raita and Renu’s recipe seems just the right one to try out at home.
- I’ve yet to try a raita with raw mango. Sasmita’s Kairi Ka Raita looks really good.
- Check out Sujata’s innovative Palak Raita – a yogurt dish made with spinach.
- Try out Narmadha’s unusual Capsicum Raita.
Ingredients Required for Banana Cucumber Raita
- Banana – ripe but not over ripe.
- Cucumber – if you’re using a cucumber with thin skin then do not peel it. I like to use English Cucumber whenever possible. If the cucumber has too many seeds, remove them.
- Yogurt – thick plain yogurt, either homemade or store bought. Can also use Greek Yogurt.
- Salt – as per taste
- Sugar – optional but adding a bit balances the flavours.
- Coarse Mustard Powder – generally available ready made in any Indian Store. Its called rai na kuria or sarson ka chura. This mustard powder is actually a vital ingredient for any raita.
- Cumin Powder – freshly roasted and round is the best
- Coriander -also known as cilantro, fresh and chopped
- Green Chillis – as per your taste, either sliced into thin rings or minced.
Dietary Tips:
- Gluten Free
- Vegetarian
- Satvik – no onion and garlic

BANANA CUCUMBER RAITA
Ingredients
- 2 cups thick plain yogurt
- 1 cup grated cucumber
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1-2 green chillis finely chopped or minced
- 2 tsp coarse mustard powder
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- some pomegranate arils optional
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber and squeeze out the water from it by pressing it between your palms.
- Peel and cut the bananas into slices or dice them. Add to the cucumber.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Chill the raita in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Remember to squeeze out the juice from the grated cucumber otherwise the raita will become watery.
- Add the cucumber juice to water you drink or dip 2 cotton wool pieces and keep them on your eyes as a coolant.
- Best to use freshly roasted and ground cumin powder.
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28 Comments
Archana
October 10, 2020 at 6:16 am
Wow! Such a delicious raita! This combo of cucumber and bananas is so different I have never heard of it. Intrresting will try.
Thanks for including mine.
mayurisjikoni
October 20, 2020 at 8:27 pm
Thanks Archana, please try the unusual combination of banana and cucumber.
Archana
October 10, 2020 at 6:19 am
Wow! Such a delicious raita! This combo of cucumber and bananas is so different I have never heard of it. Intrresting will try.
Thanks for including mine
mayurisjikoni
October 10, 2020 at 1:39 pm
Thanks Archana, and that’s the raita I’ve grown up with. My mum always made it whenever there was toor dal.
Lata Lala
October 13, 2020 at 10:07 pm
With such unusual combination of banana and cucumber that I have never heard or tried, would love to make it at the earliest.
The raita sounds so very interesting and easy to make Mayuri.
mayurisjikoni
October 14, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Thanks Lata, I’m quite surprised as its a very Gujarati recipe. Unless its a Africa based Gujarati recipe, as that’s the raita I’ve grown up enjoying.
Rafeeda – The Big Sweet Tooth
October 14, 2020 at 8:00 am
I have been wanting to try the banana raita since long, since I know I would enjoy the mix of sweet and tangy. I feel like seizing that bowl and digging in my spoon, right away…
mayurisjikoni
October 14, 2020 at 7:08 pm
Thank you so much Rafeeda. Go on make it and enjoy 🙂
Poonam bachhav
October 14, 2020 at 1:44 pm
Banana and cucumber combo and the use of mustard powder in a raita is new to me. Would love giving it a try sometime.
mayurisjikoni
October 14, 2020 at 7:02 pm
Thanks Poonam, that’s our family recipe and many Gujaratis too make it. Raita without rai was not a raita for my grandfather.
Vanitha Bhat
October 14, 2020 at 8:33 pm
Absolute favorite accompaniment to my meals especially when there is pulao or biryani! Adding ripe bananas is a great idea dear; lends a lovely sweet hue to the cucumber raita! Looks super delicious!
mayurisjikoni
October 14, 2020 at 11:30 pm
Thank you so much Vanitha. We usually pair it up with toor dal. If we make toor dal then its either chaas or this raita.
Bless my food by Payal
October 14, 2020 at 9:10 pm
This combo sounds really interesting. Though cucumber raita is very common but addition of banana makes it totally unique. Really interesting recipe.
mayurisjikoni
October 14, 2020 at 11:29 pm
Thank you so much Shailender. Try it, you may like it.
Uma Raghupathi
October 15, 2020 at 11:07 pm
The addition of banana to raita sounds interesting. we do most of the time cucumber raita, next time i will add the banana too 🙂 Thanks for the recipe
mayurisjikoni
October 16, 2020 at 9:14 pm
Thanks Uma. Hope the family likes it.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
October 16, 2020 at 4:08 am
Mayuri, I always learn such new and innovative recipes from you and this is no exception. I would have never thought of making raita with ripe banana. I have to make it and make it just like how your grandfather would have liked it 🙂
mayurisjikoni
October 16, 2020 at 9:11 pm
Thank you so much Sandhya, am sure my grandfather is smiling and blessing you 🙂
Padma Veeranki
October 17, 2020 at 12:21 am
This is such an unusual combination of banana and cucumber…I have never heard or tried. Sounds interesting and easy to make…Unique recipe !!
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2020 at 8:38 pm
Thank you so much Padma. I’m really surprised that all have commented that its unusual. Never thought of it as that as this is the raita I grew up enjoying.
Jagruti’s Cooking Odyssey
October 17, 2020 at 1:49 pm
A delicious and cooling side dish to any spice meal, the addition of banana in cucumber is good, one can skip the sugar in the raita.
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2020 at 8:37 pm
Thanks Jagruti, yes one can skip the sugar especially since bananas are sweet.
Shobha Keshwani
February 27, 2022 at 5:02 pm
This is really an interesting combination in the raita. I have never tried adding banana. I actually love bananas and will try this out soon. Loved your pics and presentation.
mayurisjikoni
February 27, 2022 at 6:00 pm
And Shobha, that is the raita I have grown up enjoying. I love it so much.
Seema Sriram
July 25, 2022 at 2:52 am
Mayuri, you have here the most soothing, creamy, summer-perfect Raita. This will just be my go-to beat the heat recipe
mayurisjikoni
July 27, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Thank you so much Seema, go ahead and try it. Have grown up enjoying this raita.
Priya Vj
August 4, 2022 at 9:30 am
Banana and cucumber raita is a very new recipe to me ..also liked the idea of using crushed mustard powder on the raita as garnish. I liked this garnish on pahadi raita which used methi and rai ka powder as garnish .this combo is really making me want to try sometime soon.
mayurisjikoni
August 5, 2022 at 2:34 pm
Thanks Priya, as I mentioned this raita is often prepared by my families.. go ahead and try it and sure you’ll enjoy it.