Cool As A Cucumber Salad

Summer weather is definitely here which brings about all sorts of grilling type activities, cook outs, and pot luck get togethers. When the perfect light side dish is called for why not break away from the regular old cole slaw, potato salad nexus and make your side dish a Bollywood star.

Here in Sonoma, the heart of California wine country, summer is a great time for friends and neighbors to get together,and share the summer bounty. When it's my turn to bring a side dish to these parties I like to do a dish that's Indian but is totally at home rubbing elbows with any good old American burger or hot dog.
It's a Cooling Cucumber Salad, an easy and inexpensive partner for anything you might toss on the grill
I like to use old fashioned pickling style cucumbers, or as the Brits and the Indians call them Kirbys.

Start with
1.) one pound of cucumbers, peel them, slice them length wise and then quarter them the long way. Cut them again if you need to. they should be about 1 and 1/2 inches long.
2.) Slice off the seedy parts
3.) Put them in a colander
4.) sprinkle them with about 3 Tbs. of Kosher salt. mix em up
let them drain in the sink or over a plate or bowl for 15 minutes.
5.) in a small heavy pan dry roast 2 Tbs of poppy seeds till toasty, just a minute or two.
6.)Dry roast 1 tsp of cumin seeds.
7.) put them all in a spice grinder or mortar and grind em up to a powder.
8.) in a small bowl mix them with 4 Tbs. of yogurt., and make a paste.
9.) Rinse your cucumbers and get all the salt off, them press them between paper towels till they're all dried off, as you want your paste to stick.
10.) When your cukes are dry rub them all over with your yogurt spice paste till they're coated. and set em aside.
11.) Now for your chaunk.
12.) heat a little oil in a heavy skillet when it's hot add
13.) 1/4 tsp. of fenugreek seeds
14.) 1 tsp of black onion seeds
15.) and 1 small green chile split longways and seeded

Stir them well and after about a minute they should be toasty and aromatic.

16.) finally toss in a pinch of cayanne pepper
17.) and 1/4 teasp of turmeric
Pour your hot oil and spice mixture over the cucumbers and stir to blend it all together
18.) Add 2 Tbs of lemon juice mix that in and set it aside for about 20 minutes or so for it all to mellow.
19.) Just before you serve add
about three Tbs of finely chopped cilantro and a touch of salt to your taste.
mix it in serve. and enjoy!!!

This recipe will serve about 6 to 8 people.