Vellarikka / Cucumber Pachadi

Ingredients

Vellarikka or Cucumber / English cucumber
To grind to a paste

3- Green chili

small piece - Ginger
1/2 tsp - Mustard
1 cup - Grated Coconut
2 cups - Thick creamy yogurt (medium sour)
Salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard
Curry leaves
2- whole dry red chili
Oil

Method
1 ) Peel the skin & remove seeds off the cucumber and cut into small pieces.

2 ) Cook cucumber with one to two table spoon of water and salt, covered on a low heat, till cucumber is cooked. Take off the stove. Drain off any excess water.

3 ) Grind coconut, ginger & green chili. Then add mustard and pulse for two to three times. Add little yogurt to grind to a smooth paste. Whip rest of the yogurt and set aside.

4 ) Add the ground mixture to the cooked cucumber, place on stove and just bring to a boil. Take off stove and cool.

5 ) Add whipped yogurt to the cooled cucumber pachadi and mix well. Adjust salt to taste.

6 ) Season with mustard, curry leaves and whole red chili.

Cucumber pachadi is mild in spices and not very spicy. Serve it as a side dish with rice.Yogurt made with whole milk, with all the cream, gives a delicious creamy taste to this dish. This will make a good addition to Onam sadhya.