Cucumber Raita (sort of)

The truth is, I’ve never had raita at a restaurant or anything, so I could be completely wrong. But I got this book called Indian Vegetarian Cooking at Your House (by Sunetra Humbad and Amy Schafer Boger) from the library last week, and I thought that the Cucumber Raita might go well with the rest of the khichdi I made a couple of days ago. So I adapted the recipe in the book, and came up with this:


Cucumber Raita

1 large English cucumber, chopped
1 large handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 cup soy yogurt
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
½ teaspoon salt
2 pinches cayenne

Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro and onion in a large bowl, and set aside. Toast the cumin and sesame seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant, stirring constantly so they won’t burn, then let cool. Combine the yogurt, milk, salt and cayenne in a smaller bowl, then add the cumin and sesame seeds, mixing well. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chopped vegetables, and toss together. Done! Makes 4 big servings.

It’s probably not authentic at all, but this salad was good nevertheless – refreshing and spicy at the same time. I enjoyed it with the khichdi and some steamed broccoli.