Yogurt raita is a staple of Indian cuisine. This easy yogurt herb raita Samosa Sauce Recipe with cucumbers is a classic flavor combination, perfect to serve as a samosa sauce, as a topping for your favorite curry-based Indian food, or as a dip for naan or pita chips.
Samosa sauce recipes come in a variety of textures and flavors, from sweet tamarind chutney, green chutney (like coriander chutney), tomato chutney (also known as red chutney) and yogurt dips.
But my favorite dip for a crispy samosa, especially for my favorite Shrimp & Potato Samosas, is a creamy and refreshing yogurt sauce.
I'm currently obsessed with topping my Indian Salmon with this rich and refreshing sauce. The warm Indian spices in the salmon are the perfect compliment to the cool, tangy dipping sauce. Try it! I know you'll love it.
Ingredients for this dipping sauce:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Yogurt: I prefer Greek yogurt in this raita recipe, and with the juicy shredded cucumbers, it's the perfect consistency. If using regular yogurt, be sure to strain your cucumbers very to reduce the liquid.
Cucumber: English cucumbers are perfect here, but substitute Persian cucumbers, if needed. If using regular cucumbers, remove the watery seeds before dicing or grating.
Cilantro: the perfect fresh flavor to compliment your cucumber and yogurt. Substitute chives or Italian parsley, if needed.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions:
1. Prep cucumber and yogurt
To begin, dice or grate cucumber into your medium bowl of yogurt. If using regular yogurt (not the thicker Greek-style yogurt), take a few extra minutes to leave your cucumbers in a sieve and let them drain while you assemble the other ingredients. If using thick yogurt, I find the cucumber juice creates the perfect texture, so no need to drain.
2. Season and toss
Add the fresh grated garlic clove, diced cilantro and mint, lime juice and cumin to the yogurt. Stir to combine.
If you drained your cucumbers in a sieve, use the back of a wooden spoon to gently press on the cucumbers to extract any excess moisture. Add cucumbers to raita. Keep in mind the garlic flavor will build a bit with time, but adjust lime, cumin and salt to your taste.
3. Serve and enjoy
If serving within 30 minutes, leave the sauce at room temperature. When ready to serve, top raita with a drizzle of olive oil and an additional sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Perfect as a dipping sauce for Easy Baked Indian Samosa Recipe or Indian Spiced Salmon, or even as a salad dressing or charcuterie board sauce.
Looking for more delicious sauce recipes?
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
Yogurt based raita is one of the most popular sauces to serve with Indian cuisine (including Shrimp and Vegetable Samosa, chicken samosas, tandoori chicken and Spiced Salmon) particularly because the refreshing sauce has a cooling effect on richly spiced foods. So as a rule, I don't recommend making your cooling sauce very spicy. But if you're serving it with a simple meal that needs a little extra kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, or a tablespoon of finely diced green chiles to the sauce for a unique taste and texture.
I'm partial to my Baked Shrimp Samosas! The spicy filling and shatteringly crisp shell of the spring roll sheets are even more delicious with the addition of the creamy raita. But store-bought samosas can be delicious and a quick solution when you need a samosa fix.
The recipe only calls for a few leaves worth of mint - it can be a strong flavor and I'm careful to keep it balanced in this recipe. It adds the loveliest flavor and cooling sensation to the yogurt sauce. if you're sure it's not for you, skip the mint and add a bit more cilantro or diced chives.
To store, move yogurt raita samosa sauce to an airtight container or glass jar, or cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yogurt Herb Raita {Best Samosa Sauce Recipe}
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
1 cup Greek yogurt
½ cup English cucumber, diced or grated
1 large garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, diced
6-8 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
Juice of ½ lime
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To begin, dice or grate cucumber into your medium bowl of yogurt. If using regular yogurt (not the thicker Greek-style yogurt), take a few extra minutes to leave your cucumbers in a sieve and let them drain while you assemble the other ingredients. If using thick yogurt, I find the cucumber juice creates the perfect texture, so no need to drain.
- Add the fresh grated garlic clove, diced cilantro and mint, lime juice and cumin to the yogurt. Stir to combine. If you drained your cucumbers in a sieve, use the back of a wooden spoon to gently press on the cucumbers to extract any excess moisture. Add cucumbers to raita.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep in mind the garlic flavor will build a bit with time, but adjust lime, cumin and salt to your taste. If serving within 30 minutes, leave the sauce at room temperature. When ready to serve, top raita with a drizzle of olive oil and an additional sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Notes
If using regular cucumbers, remove the watery seeds before dicing or grating.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: sauce
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: Indian
Shirley
I don't usually care for mint, but it was lovely here. Served it with curry and naan. Huge hit!
Christina Jolam
Sounds like you made the perfect spread! So glad the raita was part of your meal. And thank you for coming back to leave such a helpful review!