Cool cucumber

Cold soups should be a contradiction in terms, but it isn’t  really. Every time I see cucumbers, I think of a chilled bowl of soup, frosty green in colour, garnished with a mint leaf. I first had a taste of this soup several years back and still remember how the dish — sliced cucumber and a few gourds cooked in a vegetable broth, then chilled — cooled me and my palate on that hot summer day. Since then, I have been quite an avid fan of cucumbers. We tend to disregard it, relegating it to raitas and salads. But make no mistake: our cucumber is a versatile ingredient.

I was reminded of the cold cucumber soup a few days back when I watched a video of an Iranian recipe of this soup. It was quite like our lassi — prepared with grated cucumber, thick yogurt and ice cubes — except that it had a whole lot of herbs in it. It got me thinking about all that you can do with this veggie (which is actually a fruit, a member of the gourd family of plants).

This is the time to have fun with cucumbers, for it’s a cool veggie in more ways than one. It has a high water content (and so it helps you keep an eye on your weight), is full of nutrients, and is both visually appealing and budget-friendly. It can be eaten raw, pickled, cooked or liquefied. Cucumbers can play the leading role in every course of a meal, from salad and soup to entree and dessert. For a salad, there is nothing as refreshing as a kuchumber — finely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and onions, tossed together with a lemon squeezed over it. The English cucumbers are especially good for salads, for you don’t have to peel them. They are sweetish, have no seeds, and go well with any kind of dressing.

The cold cucumber soup — Iranian or otherwise — can be your next course. Wondering what to do for the entree? You could think of bharwan kheera, or stuffed cucumber. For this, you need to peel the cucumbers, scoop out the pulp after making a long slit on one side, and saute the pulp with roasted masalas, such as cumin seeds, and shredded coconut. Put the stuffing back in the cucumber and steam or pressure cook it.

For the dessert, how about some kheera kheer or vellarikka payasam? For this, boil some powdered rice in water, and let it cook. When done, add pieces of cucumber to it, and then grated coconut. Add jaggery and cardamom seeds, and thicken it. Garnish with soaked raisins and cashew nuts fried in ghee.

Despite all that it has to offer, my favourite cucumber dish is still the wafer-thin cucumber sandwich that often figures in books (and makes me want to rush to the kitchen, butter knife in hand). You need soft, white bread for this, and fine, round slices of cucumber. Cut the sides of the bread (you may reserve them for breadcrumbs), and then slather the slices with salted butter. Place the cucumber slices on one slice, season with salt and pepper, and close it with the other buttered slice. Cut it diagonally across, cover with a soft, wet cloth, and serve on a China platter with fine Darjeeling tea.

Cucumbers are excellent for dips. Try out the Greek tzatziki, or make a dip of grated cucumbers mixed with sour cream, yogurt, and herbs such as fresh dill or mint leaves. Cucumber is great for chutneys and pachadis, too, and my heart still skips a beat when I see a vendor with a cart full of cucumbers. He peels and slits it at the centre, and then squeezes some lemon into it, and tops it with chaat masala. That’s pure bliss.

I fear we have not given the cucumber its rightful place in the fruit-and-vegetable hierarchy. Of Indian origin, it is even mentioned in the Rigveda. Not for nothing is it a symbol of coolness. It’s nice to be ‘as cool as a cucumber’.

Method: Add salt to the grated cucumber. Keep it aside for 5 minutes or so. Squeeze out and discard the water. Put the yogurt in a bowl and whisk it. Add the cucumber, and then the dill, garlic and lemon juice. Add pepper and more salt, if needed, and then mix in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Refrigerate. Before serving, add the remaining olive oil to the dip. Serve with pita bread, toasted bread or freshly cut vegetables.