Yogurt sauces: raita vs. tzatziki

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Apr 9th 2006 @ 3:04PM

Back when I roasted cauliflower with curry, I thought that Indian raita, a minty cucumber yogurt sauce, would have been a nice accompaniment.

Raita is made by wrapping 1 seeded, grated cucumber in cheesecloth and squeezing out all the moisture. In a bowl, whisk together 1c. whole milk yogurt, 1/2 tsp. cumin, a pinch of cayenne. Add the cucumber, as well as 2-3 Tbsp. finely grated carrots, and 1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro or mint.

Raita is very similar to Greek tzatziki which is yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, and a lot of minced garlic. I have to say that even though the raita sounds like it matches better with a roasted curried cauliflower, I'd rather have the garlicky tzatziki.

Filed Under: Vegetarian, Ingredients, How To
Tags: america, condiments, cooking, dairy, dinner, europe, food, Greece, Greek cooking, Greek food, India, Indian cooking, Indian cuisine, Indian food, IndianFood, lunch, Mediterranean, Mediterranean cooking, Mediterranean food, raita, recipes, sauces, south asia, spices, tzatziki, vegetables, yogurt