Vegetable Raita

Recipe: Vegetable Raita

Vegetable Raita is an easy to make Indian side dish or salad. Vegetables and a few spices are added to some plain yogurt to make this delicious dish. While you can use any vegetable of your choice, I have used tomato, cucumber and onion. You can easily add bell pepper, carrot, radish, etc. Technically both tomato and cucumber are considered fruits. But it goes by the name vegetable raita.

What Is A Raita? 

Raita is a popular yogurt based side dish or salad. We don’t call it a salad in any Indian language but in the West it is classified as a salad. Any mixture of raw or cooked vegetables, grains, pulses, meat, eggs, seafood generally served cold with a dressing is considered a salad. When it comes to the Indian cuisine, there are so many varieties of raita. Beetroot, pineapple, cucumber, tomato, onion, boondi, potato, bottle gourd, eggplant, spinach, mango, etc. The options are endless. Usually served with a curry dish or biryani.

 

Why Did I Choose Raita For Letter Y?

Well, a raita cannot be a raita without yogurt. So Y for yogurt. When I planned out the whole year salad recipes, Y was for a yam salad. Unfortunately, I don’t get any yam in Magog. They label sweet potato as a yam. And we know that they are not the same. When I was in India, I didn’t think of making the salad for the below challenge as yam is readily available there. In October we made a trip to Montreal. I went to 2 Indian Stores and unfortunately they didn’t have yam. The supermarket near my son’s home usually sells Ube. Unfortunately, that weekend they didn’t have any. So backup plan was using yogurt.

 

A Few Raita Recipes You May Like

 

Sharing Vegetable Raita With 2025 Alphabet Challenge Group

2025 is nearly ending. We’re already in the month of December.  We are at Y letter of the Alphabet Challenge Group. And don’t worry we don’t stop at the end of the year. Wendy, the initiator of this challenge has decided to continue with the challenge in 2026. Y is yam, yogurt, yellow dal, yellow squash, yucca, yeast, yellow potato, yellow onion, yuzu, yardlong beans, yellow cornmeal, fuel log, yellow curry, etc.

For me Y is for yogurt.

 

 

Some Recipes With Letter Y You May Like

 

 

Y Recipes By Members Of  The Group

 

• • Sneha’s Recipe: Dahiwale Aloo Ki Sabzi/Potatoes In Yogurt Sauce 
  • A Messy Kitchen: Frozen Yogurt Pie 
  • A Day in the Life on the Farm: Teriyaki Ahi, Avocado, and Cucumber Salad
  • Mayuri’s Jikoni: Vegetable Raita | Indian Yogurt Salad 
  • Food Lust People Love: Yamitsuki Addictive Cabbage
  • Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Yangzhou Fried Rice
  • Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Yellow Mustard Seed Giardiniera Deviled Eggs
  • Culinary Cam: Yemarina Yewotet Dabo (Ethiopian Honey Bread)  
  • Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Yogurt Cornbread 

 

 

2025 Alphabet Challenge Journey So Far

 

A Bit About Vegetable Raita | Indian Yogurt Salad

• Can add grated or finely chopped carrots along with the other veggies mentioned below.
• Add bell pepper, any colour of your choice. Green bell pepper is a popular choice in India.
• Add cooked and diced beetroot. It will change the colour of the raita.
• Add mint along with some fresh coriander.
• Replace red onion with chopped spring onion.
• There is no fixed recipe to make a raita. All you need is good plain yogurt and add whatever you like.

Ingredients Required For Vegetable Raita | Indian Yogurt Salad

Cucumber

Can use any cucumber of your choice. If you use English or Persian Cucumber, then you don’t need to peel it as the skin is tender. Trim the ends and dice the cucumber into small pieces.

Tomato

Best to use Roma tomato as they tend to be less watery. Cut into small pieces.

Onion

For this recipe best to use red onion. Peel and chop the onion finely.

Green Chilli

Can add sliced or minced. Add according to your taste.

Yogurt

We need thick plain yogurt. If the yogurt is too watery, add it to a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Allow the excess water to drip out for about 15 minutes. If the yogurt is watery and when we add the chopped tomato and cucumber, the raita or salad becomes more watery.

Fresh Coriander

Finely chopped. Add the stems if they are tender.

Salt

Add according to your taste.

Sugar

Add a little to balance the flavours. Add according to your taste.

Cumin Powder

For flavour.

Split Mustard Seeds

Easily available in Indian stores. Generally not added but this is a family secret ingredient. My mum always added it to raitas. In Gujarati it is called rai na kuriya. In Hindi it is rai ki dal.

Red Chilli Powder

Optional. Add according to your taste.

 

 

 

 

 

Pin For Later

 

A Small Request

If you do try this recipe then please either

• add a comment below,
• send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
•  tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
• or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62