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Summer vegetable

With summer upon us, be as cool as a cucumber with these easy-to-make dishes

CHILL OUT Crunch a cucumber to beat the heat

It helps beat the heat and it is said to be good for the skin. A cooling agent, try these recipes using cucumber and chill out this summer.

Cucumber dosa

Ingredients

Cucumber - 250 gm

Rice - two cups
Coconut - half
Green chilly - three
Jaggery - one walnut sized ball
Oil - to smear the tava
Salt - to taste

Method

Soak the rice in water for four to five hours. Drain and grind with coconut, green chilly, jaggery, salt and finally the cucumbers. Grind into a thin batter and make dosas on a hot tava using a little oil to grease the base.

Cucumber curd salad

Ingredients

Cucumber- two

Green chillies -two (sliced)
Coriander leaves -a small bunch
Thick curd - two tbsp
Ghee- a spoonful
Asafoetida - a pinch
Mustard seeds - a pinch
Method

Peel the skin of cucumbers, remove seeds and wash. Cut into thin circular slices. Put salt and mix well and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain water. Heat ghee and add asafoetida. Pour this mixture onto cucumber slices. Add curd, green chillies and coriander leaves and mix well.

Cucumber pollov curry
Ingredients

Cucumber - half kg

For grinding

Coconut - one-and-a-half
Garlic - eight cloves
Coriander - two tbsp
Dry chilly - eight
Mustard - one tsp
Rice - one tbsp
Tamarind - to taste
Cumin seeds - one tbsp
For seasoning - one onion
Oil-three tbsp
Salt- to taste
Method

Peel the skin of the cucumber and clean the centre. Cut into small pieces. Boil it in about three cups water and a little oil. Roast the masala ingredients including coconut separately. Do not roast tamarind. Grind the roasted masala with tamarind. Add masala to the boiled cucumber and add salt. Season with fried sliced onion in oil.

Cucumber kitchadi

Ingredients

Grated cucumber - two cups
Salt - to taste
Curd - one cup
To grind
Coconut one-and-a-half cup
Green chilly - two
Mustard seeds - quarter tsp
For seasoning

Mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds - quarter tsp

Oil - one tsp
Dry chilly - one
Curry leaves - a sprig
Method

Take grated cucumber, salt and add enough water in a vessel and boil till it becomes soft. Grind the `to grind' ingredients and add to the cooked cucumber. Add curd and stir. Heat a frying pan and pour oil. Put dry chilli and mustard seeds. When mustard splutters pour the curry to this and switch off stove when it starts to boil.

INDU NARAYAN

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