Cucumber Pachadi
Submitted by befree
South Indian cucumber pachadi with tamarind, green chilies, and a sizzling tempering of mustard seeds, fenugreek, and asafetida. A tangy, spicy condiment served cold.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
60 minPachadi is one of those South Indian condiments that turns a simple meal of rice and dal into something you can’t stop eating.
Salted and squeezed cucumber gets mixed with tamarind, green chilies, brown sugar, and fresh cilantro for a tangy, spicy base. Then comes the tadka: mustard seeds, fenugreek, dried red chilies, and a pinch of asafetida crackled in hot oil and poured over the top.
That sizzle is the sound of flavor landing. Serve it cold alongside rice, dosas, or idli.
Kitchen Tips
- Squeeze the salted cucumbers dry thoroughly or the pachadi will be too watery and lose its punch
- Wait for the mustard seeds to crackle and pop before adding the fenugreek and chilies; that’s how you know the oil is hot enough
- Asafetida is potent; a quarter teaspoon is plenty and adds a savory depth that rounds out the tamarind’s sourness
- English cucumbers work best here because they have fewer seeds and a thinner skin
Ingredients
Directions
Mix cucumbers and salt in a colander and set aside for half an hour.
Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from cucumbers and mix with tamarind, green chilies, sugar and cilantro.
In a small saucepan or skillet, heat oil until hot.
Lower heat and add mustard seeds, fenugreek, red chilies and asafetida.
Cook, stirring, until mustard seeds crackle.
Add to cucumber mixture. Serve cold.
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