Experience a delightful vegetarian dish that pairs a cooling cucumber yogurt curry with a fiery gooseberry pickle, perfect for enjoying in warm weather. The creamy texture of the curry offers a refreshing counterbalance to the spicy notes of the pickle, creating a harmonious dining experience when served with plain rice.
To prepare the hot gooseberry pickle, you’ll need just ten minutes each for preparation and cooking, along with a short pickling time. Start by washing 250 grams of gooseberries, drying them on a clean cloth. In a saucepan, mix 250 milliliters each of apple cider vinegar and water with a tablespoon of caster sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Heat until the sugar and salt dissolve, then add the gooseberries, letting them sit in the liquid for about ten minutes before draining. Dry-roast a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, cool them, and grind with a tablespoon of mustard seeds and four crushed garlic cloves. Combine this paste with the drained gooseberries, three tablespoons of vegetable oil, four tablespoons of Kashmiri chilli powder, and additional salt to taste. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
The cucumber yogurt curry is equally simple to make, requiring only 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking time. Peel two cucumbers, keeping the skins, and gently crush the whole cucumbers with a rolling pin. Blend a portion of the cucumbers, their seeds, and reserved skins with 80 grams of soaked and drained desiccated coconut, two green chillies, four garlic cloves, 30 grams of fresh coriander, half a teaspoon of black peppercorns, and two teaspoons of sesame seeds until smooth. Whisk 100 grams of natural yogurt until creamy, adding water if needed, and stir in the blended paste with the remaining cucumber slices. Chill before serving.
For the tempering, heat four teaspoons of vegetable or coconut oil in a small frying pan, adding 10 fresh curry leaves to sizzle for 30 seconds. Incorporate a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds (if desired), two teaspoons each of mustard and cumin seeds, and three dried red chillies, cooking briefly. Pour this spiced oil over the chilled cucumber yogurt curry just before serving.
Serve this appetizing meal immediately with plain boiled rice, accompanied by the chilled gooseberry pickle for a satisfying contrast of flavors and textures. This dish offers a perfect balance of cooling and spicy elements, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a light yet flavorful meal.