The weather is hot and humid these days and the body keeps craving cooling foods to help us feel refreshed. While ice creams and cold beverages are usually the go-to foods and drinks, they are loaded with an unhealthy amount of sugar that can have a negative implication on your health. If you are someone who is looking forward to keeping yourself cool and also helping you lose weight, then adding cucumbers to your diet is an excellent option.
Be it cucumber coolers, or just slice it up and munch on it while it’s cold, or you can add it to some curd to make raita. A good Pahadi Kheera Raita will not only put you in a good mood but also help you in feeling cool and energetic and aid in weight loss. You can even serve it to your guests and see them become instant fans of your recipes and leave them asking for more servings.
Pahadi Kheera Raita is not just tasty but also super easy to whip up in a jiffy. To make this recipe, you will need two to three chopped green chillies, seven to eight cloves of garlic (you can skip it completely as well), an inch of ginger, salt, less than 1/4th teaspoon of turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mustard seeds respectively and ½ teaspoon of cumin. You will also need a handful of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, some mint leaves, 400 grams of curd and finally the most important ingredient 2 cucumbers grated.
To make the refreshing Pahadi Kheera Raita-
Take the chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic, cumin, and mustard seeds and crush them a little using mortar and pestle.
Then add the freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves along with some salt, turmeric powder and chill powder and keep crushing it for some time to prepare a rough textured chutney. Do not try to make it too fine.
Now, put aside this chutney in a small bowl.
Add the grated cucumber to the 400 grams of curd and mix it properly. You can get rid of the lumps in the curd till it looks smooth to you.
Now, add the kept-aside chutney to the curd and cucumber mix.
Your Pahadi Kheera Raita is ready. You can serve it right away or chill it for some time by keeping it in the fridge.