Creamy Cucumber Salad

I guess my afternoons aimlessly watching Barefoot Contessa work her magic weren't a total waste. I saw her make her Creamy Cucumber Salad one day and I immediately made a mental note to myself that I must try it out. It is similar to Indian raita with a few key differences. First, the cucumber is not shredded. Second, the cilantro is replaced by dill and there is vinegar in her recipe. I reduced her recipe by half and like a true desi, I had to add green chilies and garlic!

1 hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced in half rounds

16 oz. plain yogurt

4 oz. sour cream

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/4 cup minced fresh green dill (a.k.a. "leeli suva")

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Mix the cucumbers and onions and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Place in a colander that is sitting inside of a large bowl. Let the cucumbers drain in the refrigerator for atleast 4 hours or overnight.

2. Line a sieve with paper towel. Pour the yogurt into the sieve. Refrigerate the yogurt for atleast 4 hours or overnight.

3. Mix the strained yogurt and cucumbers with sour cream, vinegar, minced dill, garlic paste, green chili paste, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

4. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I must admit that this recipe did take some time. With advance planning though, it can be a piece of cake, I HIGHLY recommend draining the yogurt and cucumbers overnight. It will save so much time in the end. It was my first time at it, but I planned ahead and started draining in the morning. Eight hours later, I had a finished product. I will definitely be draining overnight.

We both really enjoyed this salad. The dill is a refreshing change from the everyday cilantro that we use in our cooking. In the first round, I served this salad as a side with Tomatey Masoor Dal and Cumin-Flavored Parathas. In the second round and for tonight's dinner, the salad will be wrapped inside a multi-grain pita bread along with homemade chickpea burgers and our Homemade Roasted Red Jalapeno Pepper Sauce. This will be served with my Mediterranean Couscous Salad. I can hardly wait for Round 2!