Long Cucumber/Kakkarikka Pachadi

This one I learnt from my mother-in-law. Some days when she makes Sambar and Mezhukkuperatti (Kerala dry side dish usually made with Ghee), she also makes this simple pachadi.
Pachadi is an authentic Kerala side dish with a gravy made of coconut and yogurt. We can put the vegetable of our choice, and in this one we only put cucumber. We can literally prepare this in 20 minutes. So if you're planning on bringing up a Kerala feast and want a curry to go well with Sambar, believe you me, this is the one. It has a very fresh, crunchy taste.

Here goes-
Serves 4 - 5

Ingredients

1/2 of a long cucumber
2/3 cup grated coconut
2/3 cup of yogurt
3 green chillies
1 Tsp cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp pepper
3 dry red chillies
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tbsp oil
Some curry leaves
Some Salt to taste

Steps

• Cut the cucumber into small pieces
• In a blender, add grated coconut, yogurt, green chillies, cumin seeds, pepper and salt. Blend into a fine paste
•  Add the above paste to the cucumber and mix well
• In a saucepan, roast the the mustard seeds and dry red chillies in oil. Add the curry leaves. 
• Add the cucumber-coconut-yogurt gravy to this and heat on low flame for about 5-8 minutes

Cucumber Pachadi is ready. See, how easy and quickly this can be made. Those days of the week when I prepare sambar and some Thoran/Mezhukkuperutti, if I have cucumber in the fridge I make this curry. The taste of yogurt and the crunch of fresh cucumber is a perfect counter-balance for Sambar-rice. Top this with Pappadams and you're good to go!