Mint Raita Recipe: Cool Pudina Raita for Biryani (2026)

What Is Mint Raita?

Mint raita (pudina raita, or पुदीना रायता in Hindi) is a cool curd dip. You blend fresh mint leaves into thick curd with cumin, green chili and a squeeze of lemon. It is the go-to side dish for biryani, kebabs, tandoori chicken and spicy pulao in North Indian homes. This mint raita recipe takes 15 minutes and makes 4 servings.

Many homes make mint raita on biryani night. The bright green color looks lovely next to the golden rice. Use fresh mint, not dried. Fresh leaves give a bright green raita and a clean, fresh taste. Dried mint gives a dull, darker raita with a flatter taste. India's food tables (IFCT 2017, code G016) list mint leaves as spearmint, Mentha spicata. It is a milder mint than peppermint.

Nutrition per serving (about 120 g, one quarter of this recipe): about 68 kcal, 3.8 g protein, 6 g carbs, 3.4 g fat, 140 mg calcium and 195 mg sodium. Makes 4 servings.

We worked these numbers out from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient. Plain whole-milk yogurt (FDC ID 171284) has 61 kcal per 100 g, so the 400 g of curd gives 244 of the 271 kcal in the whole bowl. The 1/4 tsp of salt (about 1.5 g) adds about 580 mg of the 780 mg of sodium in the bowl. So one serving has about 10% of the WHO limit for adults of 2,000 mg of sodium a day. Curd made from buffalo milk has more fat, so it has more calories.

What Ingredients Do You Need?

Mint raita needs fresh mint leaves, thick curd, green chili, cumin, lemon juice, and a tiny bit of sugar. Optional coriander and garlic add depth. The blended herb puree gives mint raita its signature green color and fresh flavor.

Key ingredients: 400g fresh curd, 30g fresh mint (3/4 cup loosely packed), 10g coriander, 1-2 green chilis, 1/2 tsp cumin (roasted and ground), 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp each sugar and salt, 2 tbsp water. Optional: a little garlic.

The InstaCuppa Automatic Curd Maker (1 litre, Rs 1,199 on 5 October 2026) controls the warmth for you. Add the starter to milk cooled to around 40 to 45 °C, and the curd sets in about 6 to 8 hours. Fresh, mild homemade curd lets the mint shine. Very sour curd can hide the taste of the herbs.

How to Make Mint Raita Step by Step

Mint raita takes 15 minutes in all. The key step is to blend the mint into a smooth paste first. Then you fold it into whisked curd. Blend in short pulses. Long blending warms and bruises the leaves, which can make the raita darker and a little bitter.

1. Dry roast 1/2 tsp cumin seeds until aromatic (1 min). Cool and grind to powder.
2. Rinse mint and coriander in 3 changes of water. Remove stems.
3. Blend herb puree: 1 tbsp curd, mint, coriander, chili, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lemon juice, 2 tbsp water. Pulse 30-45 seconds to smooth paste. Do not over-blend.
4. Whisk 385g curd until smooth and creamy.
5. Stir herb puree into curd. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.
6. Chill 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cumin powder. Serve cold.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid?

The most common mistake is using dried mint instead of fresh. Dried mint makes the raita a dull, darker color, and its taste is flatter. Fresh leaves keep the raita bright green and fresh.

• Using dried mint: Dull color and a flat taste. Always use fresh leaves for color and flavor.
• Over-blending herbs: Long blending warms and bruises the leaves. The raita can turn dark and a little bitter. Pulse in short bursts for a fine paste.
• Skipping roasted cumin: Raw cumin tastes harsh. Dry roasting brings out a warm, nutty smell.
• Using thin curd: Thin or low-fat curd can turn the raita watery. Use thick, full-fat curd.

What the research says: No study has tested mint raita for digestion. The best mint evidence is for peppermint oil capsules. A 2019 review of 12 trials with 835 adults found peppermint oil eased belly pain and other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That is a measured dose of oil. A spoon of raita made with spearmint leaves is not the same thing. So enjoy mint raita for its taste and its cool feel, not as a medicine.

What Are Some Mint Raita Variations?

Mint raita adapts into three popular variations - add cucumber for extra cooling, use hung curd for a thick dip, or mix in onion and garlic for a Punjabi BBQ style. Each variation keeps the fresh mint base.

• Mint Cucumber Raita: Add 100g grated, drained cucumber. Extra cooling for tandoori. About 72 kcal/serving.
• Greek Yogurt Mint Chutney: Use Greek Yogurt Maker (1100 ml) for a hung curd base. Dense dip for kebabs. About 100 kcal/serving if you use 400 g of whole-milk hung curd.
• Garlic-Onion Pudina Raita: Add 20g chopped onion + extra garlic. Punjabi BBQ style. About 71 kcal/serving.

How Do You Serve Mint Raita with Biryani?

Mint raita for biryani should be cold, thick and only mildly spiced. Serve it chilled in a small bowl next to the biryani. The cool curd and fresh mint balance the heat of the masala. Keep the green chili light, because the biryani already brings the spice. One batch of this recipe serves 4 people. For more raitas to pair with biryani, see our raita for biryani guide.

How Long Does Mint Raita Last in the Fridge?

Mint raita is best eaten within 1 to 2 days. Keep it in a covered glass or steel bowl in the fridge, at 4 °C (40 °F) or below. No food-safety agency lists raita by name. For mixed cold dishes such as egg or pasta salads, the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart allows 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Raita with fresh herbs gets watery and more sour well before that. The mint flavor mellows overnight. Glass or steel does not hold smells the way some plastic boxes can. Do not freeze.

Never leave raita out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. On a day hotter than 32 °C (90 °F), the limit is 1 hour, as per the USDA.