Cucumber raita recipe is so refreshing and delicious that it has been a favorite of south Indian cuisine for many generations. A raita literally means "grapefruit mouth" in Malayalam. This delicious dessert is prepared using cucumbers, tomato, spices, and various kinds of refreshing milk products. Cucumber adds to the flavor and elasticity of the fruit while adding a bit of tartness for balance. This is one of the oldest and most loved deserts in India and was considered as the national fruit by the British.
Cucumber raita recipe uses a tangy and mildly spiced syrup as a sweetener and flavor. The unique and authentic flavor of this desert comes from the distinctively tangy taste of cilantro, mint, and garlic combined with sugar. Cucumber adds to the creamy texture of this desert and makes it extremely light and fresh. Often it has been served as a desert alongside rice or rotis. A thick consistency gives it a rich flavor, almost like a pudding. The distinctively spiced nature of this cucumber raita recipe makes it an excellent companion dish to any ethnic or traditional Indian meal.
The basic ingredients of this simple recipe include finely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, tamarind, salt, turmeric powder, ground almonds, and a sweet palm wine, preferably Madeira. To make the recipe a bit more exciting, you can add a bit of chopped fresh chillies or powder and finely chop the spices. Alternatively you can use an alternative pickle to give the boondi raita recipe with a spicy twist.
Traditionally, when preparing a raita recipe, it is customary to add small pieces of play or black coconut meat. This gives it a slightly sweet and spicy kick. If using pulao it is wise to soak the meat in water for a few minutes before cooking in a sauce of either clarified or non-flavored clarified butter. Non-flavored clarified butter is healthier than the flavored ones and can also reduce the occurrence of food poisoning. Alternatively, you can soak the meat in clarified coconut milk instead of water, however, I find that the coconut milk tends to draw out all the flavor and tenderize the meat.
The traditional recipe makes use of mango, banana, eggplant, red onion and green onions as the main ingredients in the preparation of the cucumber raita. The recipe uses chick peas in its dressing. An important point to note is that when preparing the dip, you should make sure you use a well-maintained and clean strainer to separate and remove the seeds from the raisins. In fact, it is not advisable to attempt to use a blender or food processor to blend or process the cucumbers and raisins, as this will distort the texture of the final dish.
Another important thing to note is that the actual recipe card includes a serving of rice and thin yogurt for dessert. The serving of rice and yogurt is optional and can be substituted by any of your favorite ground sources i.e. buckwheat, quinoa, millet etc. As far as the preparation of the case is concerned, it is always best to use unsalted and certified gluten-free flour. For the topping of the cake, you can choose from a variety of fruits like kiwi, blueberries, mango and strawberries; or you can also try making a chocolate fondue using chocolate chips, honey, brown sugar and butter to prepare an absolutely delicious desert.
The base of the Raita recipe is made up of chickpeas, which are halved and torn into small pieces. In order to make it crispy, add a generous pinch of salt and a generous pinch of black pepper. You can either use rock salt or regular table salt. Now, all that remains is to add the shredded dried chickpeas and mix them with the finely chopped and grated cumin seeds, a little butter and pitted dates and voila! You have a mouthwatering delight that everyone will be raving about. You can bake the cake in the oven or fry it in a pan until it is crisp and brown on all sides.
You can also alternate between the regular flavorings for the data and use either fresh cucumbers or ripe avocados instead of the green mango. In fact, you can even substitute the yogurt and the mango juice with yogurt and lime juice for a refreshing twist. Alternatively, you can make a delicious and sumptuous mango smoothie using pureed ripe avocados and yogurt for the base of the smoothie. You can then top with frozen green mango and add fresh mint and cinnamon for a delicious treat. The next time you are looking for a cool and refreshing drink to refresh yourself or your guests, consider making a simple raita recipe using either frozen fruits or fresh fruits.
