Vegetarian Cooking: Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad

CUCUMBER AND YOGHURT SALAD

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, coarsely grated (see preparation)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 x 150 g/5 oz cartons natural yoghurt

• 1 large clove garlic, crushed

• 1 – 2 tablespoons chopped mint

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Fresh mint springs, to garnish

• Hot pitta bread, to serve

How To Prepare Yoghurt Salad

1. Put the grated cucumber into a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
2.  Turn the salted cucumber into a colander and then rinse under cold running water.  Drain cucumber and return to rinsed-out bowl.
3.  Stir in the yoghurt, together with the garlic, mint and pepper to taste.
4.  Cover the salad and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until well chilled.
5.  Serve the salad in a bowl on a large plate.  Garnish with mint and serve at once with hot pitta bread (see Did you know).

COOK’S NOTES

TIME:

This refreshing salad takes about 45 minutes to make, including salting time.  Allow 2-3 hours chilling.

PREPARATION:

It is not necessary to peel the cucumber, unless the skin is very tough.

DID YOU KNOW ?

This salad originated in Turkey, where it is known as cacik, but different versions are found in the countries stretching from the Near East to India.  In Greece this salad is called tsatsiki, while it is flavoured with cumin and cayenne, it is known as khira raita.  A Middle Eastern custom is to sprinkle the top with paprika and pour over 1-2 tablespoons olive oil before serving.