Easy Peasy Food for the Lazy Soul - Cucumber Pachadi

Pachadi - in Kerala - refers to dishes which are yogurt based - similar to raita - though cooked, in a mixture of coconut, spices, and sour yogurt.

The vegetable I am using, I call it cucumber, but this really is not the regular salad cucumber most of us would be more familiar with.  The market I get it from labels it "Malabar Cucumber" and I doubt if this is available very far from South India.  Anyway, this was such an easy recipe, I just had to share it.  You could substitute with carrots, just steam the carrots a bit before you start with the actual recipe because they will not cook this fast.

Since "certain people" felt my previous post did not have detailed enough photos:

Cut the cucumber into half and quarter each half.  Peel and deseed each of the wedges.

Slice each wedge into smaller strips and then dice the strips.

You need more detail than that, call my mom!  Now for the actual recipe.

Ingredients:

Cucumber - 250 g

Coconut - About 5 heaped tablespoons

Curd/Yogurt - 3/4 cup (this needs to be khatta, sour - just leave home-made curd out longer than you would usually do)

Green chilies - 2

Black mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Make a thick paste with coconut, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chili, and just enough water to help in making a smooth paste.  In a microwave safe bowl, add the diced cucumber, coconut paste, and any remaining yogurt.

Add salt to taste.  Mix and place the bowl in the microwave to cook - I keep it on the 100% power setting for 2 minutes.  Just watch for the mixture to start boiling and take out soon as it reaches a boil - takes less than 2 minutes if the quantity is lesser.

Now you just need to do the tempering.  You would need:

• Cooking oil - Authentic Kerala cuisine uses coconut oil, but you could use something like sunflower oil.

Once the oil gets hot, add in the same order

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp - wait till the seeds splutter and then add,
• Dry red chilies - 1 (broken into half - I forgot to do that)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Methi seeds - about 10 seeds - yup count and take :D
• A pinch of asafoetida.

Once you put the asafoetida wait about 10 seconds, and pour the tempering on to the cooked cucumbers and mix.  That's it.  Cooking over.

Take pic and mix :D

Traditionally served with rice as a side dish, I like eating this with chapatis or paranthas.

Yogurt needs to be sour make this dish.  If its not sour enough, the dish is going to taste very boring.