Whatever you're eating is too spicy. You need the best raita recipe... like, raita now.

That's what raita is, a cooling condiment. In contrast to spicy Indian pickles, chutneys and whatnot, raita turns things down rather than turning things up. There are so many different ways to make raita with all kinds of vegetables and even fruits, but I like mine with cucumbers and fresh herbs. At Indian restaurants, you'll often see raita served alongside an order of biryani or another spicy main course. I recently made it to top this Gobi Masala Soup.

Despite my half-Indian heritage, I have very little love for too-spicy foods. Spices, yes. (SO many spices.) Flavor, yes. (SO much flavor.)

But when I can't feel my mouth anymore and I start sweating, I'm out. I would never win a ghost pepper contest. So anyway, raita is helpful for me personally. And you'll notice it's a lot like tzatziki, which is a fun little cultural coincidence, eh?

Raita

vegetarian and gluten-free recipe | serves 4+

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt (I actually use Greek yogurt because that’s what I buy more regularly)

• 1/4 cup cucumber, grated

• 1 T fresh mint, finely chopped

• 1/4 tsp ground cumin

• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix everything up in a bowl. Put a few little cucumber and minty bits on top.

2. End of instructions.

Notes

• Some people peel the skin from the cucumbers before adding them. I am lazy and I like the color, so I don't.

• You can thin out the Greek yogurt a bit with water if you prefer.

• If you like your raita smooth, you can use an immersion blender, regular blender or food processor to puree it. It turns minty green and it's very pretty.

• Serve raita with this Gobi Masala Soup, biryani, a vegetable curry or anything else that needs a little bit of a cool-down.