cucumber raitha with coconut

A south indian family never finishes a meal without curd.And in summer,its almost sinful to skip curd rice. Why, anything with curd is good. That is how i was brought up. My dad's family devours anything with curd and i think i ve inherited the curd gene. Raitha is a routine accompaniment in the meals that i put together. Sometimes the same kind of raitha becomes monotonous. To quote a popular ad jingle,"variety mangtha hai dil" .And so i decided to give the usual cucumber raitha a makeover. And this is how you can also give a makeover.


Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Serves 2

What you need?

Cucumber-1/2 (dont peel the skin, pls!)
Thick curd-1 cup
grated coconut-4 tbsps
green chilli-2
Ginger- a small bit
salt- according to taste
Seasoning:
ghee-1 tsp
urad dal-1 tsp
mustard seeds-1 tsp
Hing-1/4tsp

How I Made It?
Grate the cucumber or chop them into little cubes.
Grind together coconut, chilli and ginger to chutney consistency.
Whisk the curd so that it becomes smooth without adding water.
Now add the Coconut mixture, cucumber and salt to the curd and mix well.
Season with mustard seeds, urad dal and hing in the ghee and add to the curd.
I did not have coriander with me but you can garnish it with coriander for an added flavour
The raitha is ready and can be served with rice and paruppu thogayal( dal chutney) or any thogayal for that matter.
Paruppu thogayal recipe coming up soon...

Rib gourd dal Source: Amma

I love rib gourds. Anything that is made out of them is yummy. The vegetable by itself can be eaten raw because there is some kind of sweetness to it. And this cute long veggie is available during the monsoon in gujarat.I ve known rib gourd in so many forms chutney, bajji, and kootu. This is my mom s speciality. Simple, healthy, easy and yummy. So lets get to work.

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time Under 20 mins
Source: Amma
Serves 2

What you need? 

Rib gourd- 1 long fleshy one, try getting it fresh
Moong dal/ paasi paruppu/hesaru bele-3/4 cup
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
green chillies-5 slit into halves
cilatro/coriander-a small bunch
Split chick peas-1 1/2tbsp
Mustard-1 tsp
ghee-2tbsp
hing/asafoetedia- a pinch
lemon juice of 1 whole lemon
How to make it?

Peel the skin off the gourd and chop them into little half slices. Keep aside.
Fry the moong dal in 1/2 tbsp ghee until a light brown.You get a delicious smell when its done but make sure you do all this on a low flame because moong dal burns quickly.

Boil the moong dal in the pressure cooker with a little turmeric for about 5 to 6 whistles.
Mash the dal well after its done.
Now, in a kadai, add the remaining ghee. After it s hot, add mustard and wait till it splutters. Then add the split chick peas.
Add the hing next and then green chillies.
Wait for the chillies to become a little white.
And now add the gourd and saute on medium flame for 4 mins.
Then add the moong dal and let it simmer for 5 mins on low flame. You need to be careful while adding the moong dal because it may splash.
Add salt to the dal at this point and give it a stir and let it simmer on high for half a minute.
Now, Let the dal cool well.
Add the lemon juice and the coriander and mix well.
Serve with hot rice and a little ghee. Any fried curry will taste good but my best bet is ladys finger.
Note: Sometimes rib gourds may turn out to be bitter so have a bite before you start off.

Watermelon Cooler

Watermelons abound the city this time of the year. Who can resist the fruit? I dont know a single soul who s not floored by the green and pink oval goodness. The guy is very fond of the fruit. He makes a trip to the market just to buy one. But we dont get lucky always. The fruit turns out to be not so great at times and we get some really bland ones and i was left with one such fruit and thats how this cooler was born.

Prep Time: Under 10 mins
Cook Time: Nil 
Serves 2


What you need?
Watermelon- 1 whole fruit cut into pieces
Honey-according to taste
Sugar-1 tbsp
Ginger-2 inch piece
Mint leaves- A handful
Lemon juice-5-6 tbsps

How to Do You Make It?

Cut the watemelon into pieces after removing the rind. If you have the time deseed them. Otherwise just add in directly.Save a few chunks for garnish..
Add all the ingredients into the juicer along with the watermelon and blend well.
Strain and chill.While serving add the chunks of fruit.
Note: You can also add soda to the juice before serving. It gives a nice twist to the drink. The same can also be tried with yellowmelon. When you buy a melon see that you buy a oval one with a lot of yellow than green. These fruits are sweeter and yummier.