Kumaoni Raita Recipe (2024)

Kumaoni Raita is a delicious cucumber raita from Uttarakhand. It’s spicy, tangy, and full of flavours. It is known as Pahadi kheere ka raita.

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Famous Kumaoni Raita

Kumaon Hills are nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. They are bestowed with a maze of mountains, lush greenery, and breathtaking landscapes.

The region’s culture, cuisine, and rich heritage remain untold. However, many renowned food historians and novelists have captured the essence of the Kumaoni cuisine in their writings.

If you have visited Kumaon’s lush green hill stations, such as Nainital or Ranikhet, you might taste the famous Kumaoni Raita with aloo ke gutke. It is a quintessential part of Kumaoni cuisine.

Kumaoni Raita has a very unique taste and texture. It is spicy, zingy, and has a thick, luscious texture. It is also one of the most popular street food across the Kumaon region. You can call it Pahadi raita, Kumaoni raita, kheere ka raita, or kakdi ka raita.

The first taste impression of Kumaoni Raita is like a hit of the strong taste, and not subtle at all. And it might be possible due to the robust flavour of mustard, and it might not be a love-at-first-bite kind of dish. Eventually, your palate starts developing a kind of affection with this rare sapor.

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About Pahadi Cucumber

To make the Kumaoni raita, one needs the giant yellowish skin tone local cucumber variety. It is also known as Pahadi kheera.

You can use the regular big-size Indian cucumber for making Kumaoni raita.

The other predominant flavour in the pahadi raita is tiny pale yellow local mustard seeds known as bachha rai or lai. These mustard seeds are combined with mustard oil and green chilli to escalate the flavours of raita to a new high.

While travelling across the region, you can buy this local cucumber and mustard from the markets.

Other Ingredients

• Curd
• Green Chilli and Coriander
• Salt, Turmeric, Mustard Oil

How To Make

Step 1) Add mustard seeds, green chilli, and salt in a stone mortar and pestle. Grind to a coarse paste. Or you can use a tiny blender as well for the purpose.Transfer the paste to a bowl and set it aside.

Step 2) Peel and cut the cucumber lengthwise into half. Remove the seeds from each piece using a spoon.Grate the cucumber, and squeeze out all the liquid from the grated cucumber using a muslin cloth. Set aside in a bowl.

Step 3) Whisk curd to get a smooth consistency. Use approximately ¼ cup of water to get the desired consistency. Kumaoni Kheere ka raita is usually on the thicker side.

Step 4) Add the mustard paste to the whisked curd, grated cucumber, mustard oil, coriander leaves, salt, and turmeric. Mix nicely.

For the flavours to mature, let the raita sit at room temperature or in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestion

In a Kumaoni household, kheere ka raita is served with anything and everything. It is part of traditional Kumaoni thali on festive occasions, along with dishes like dal bada, poori, aloo ki sabji, and kheer.

Sometimes we enjoy it for lunch along with dal – bhaat.

And the forever popular combination is the Aloo Ke Gutke and Raita. The spicy, crispy, sweet Pahadi aloo is served with raita. It is one of my favourite teatime snacks.

My Tried and True Tips

A coarse paste of mustard seeds and green chilli is required—no need to make a fine chutney-like paste. Grinding mustard seeds and green chilli in a mortar and pestle or a stone grinder for the rustic texture is best.

Adding mustard oil to the Kumaoni raita is optional. It is added for that extra kick in the flavour.

No need to dry roast or fry the mustard seeds to make the raita. Make a coarse paste and directly combine it with the curd.

Before adding the cucumber, ensure all the liquid from the grated cucumber is squeezed out. This step will ensure a thick and luscious Pahadi Kheere Ka Raita.

Last but not least, the flavours of this cucumber raita mature after a few hours. Hence, it is always best to make it in advance and store it in the fridge.

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Postcard From Kumaon Hills, Uttarakhand

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