Cucumber and Cilantro Raita

Raita is not supposed to be nearly as thick as tzatziki. It's not made with greek or other strained yogurt, and at a lot of restaurants, it's even watered down. I wouldn't suggest doing that, but especially if you're using a thicker yogurt, you don't need to worry nearly as much about the cucumber water as you do with tzatziki.

Raita is similar to tzatziki. For tzatziki, the cucumber is grated, mixed with a little salt, and allowed to drain in cheesecloth over a sieve for a few hours. Without this step, the tzatziki is a watery mess, and I suspect the raita would be the same. When I make this recipe, I will be adding that step.

My parents are from Gujarat and make cucumber raita frequently. This recipe is missing the tempered spices that make raita something more flavorful than just cucumbers in yogurt. Mustard seeds and cumin would be a good place to start; some chile (not too much!) also adds a nice kick. And the cilantro is optional; I'm anti-cilantro and fortunately haven't had the displeasure of frequently encountering cilantro in raita.