Cucumber Curry- Mild

Some of you may think cooking a cucumber is a little strange.  But this cucumber curry had me at first bite. This is one my mother's recipes and I have loved it since I was a kid.  Cooking the cucumber with these interesting spices and aromatics (like garlic) makes it just develop into delicious dish to serve with rice and curry.  In Sri Lanka we always try to have a mild curry with each of our meals to offset the spicier dishes.  Lentils are usually the favored mild curry to use in most households.  But I find this cucumber curry a wonderful change of pace and it really is one of my favorites.

You will need two large cucumbers for this dish.  You cannot use English cucumbers because they don't have the right consistency.  The best cucumbers are the regular garden variety that are sold in most grocery stores.

Peel the cucumbers and seed them.  This is an important step because you don't want the cucumber seeds in the dish.  Simply scrape the cucumber down the center with a spoon until all the seeds are gone.  Then slice the cumber into half moons as pictured.  You will also need the following spices:
1 medium onion chopped
1 green chili seeded and chopped
10-12 curry leaves
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds
1 small cinnamon stick or piece
1/2 cup of water
Salt to taste

In a large pan add all the above ingredients and allow to cook on medium-high heat.  Cook until the cucumbers become fork tender(but not mush).

This is were it gets interesting.  You will  make a mustard/garlic paste in a blender.  Blend together:
5 cloves of garlic
2 Tbs of raw rice (rinsed)
1 Tbs of mustard seed
1/2 cup of milk **   I used regular cows milk.  If you are trying to make this vegan, you can use coconut milk. Blend until smooth.  Note:  you will use another half cup of milk to rinse out the blender. 1 cup of milk is used in total for the dish.

Add the garlic/mustard paste and the milk into the cucumber curry.  Stir well and allow the curry to cook for another few minutes until all the flavors are combined well. 

Taste for salt before you turn off the stove. You cucumbers should be tender and the dish a cheery yellow color.

Serves 4-6 people. Enjoy with rice and your favorite spicy curries.

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