Cucumber Raita Salad - Banana Leaf Rice [Nyonya Cooking] 

An easy cucumber raita salad recipe which is often served as a side dish for Banana Leaf Rice. Eaten with naan or bread too, cucumber raita is refreshing and helps to tone down the spiciness of hot curries or dhals.
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Cucumber Raita is a yummy creamy condiment which is served with dishes where curries are also available. While the curries are spiced and hot, cucumber raita tends to be cooling and refreshing. As Cucumber Raita is served chilled, having cold yogurt helps to also neutralize spicy food while allowing one to enjoy even more spices!
In my favourite Banana Leaf Rice restaurant located in Kuala Lumpur, Cucumber Raita is given as one of the basic dishes. Basic dishes such as Cucumber Raita, [Stir-fry Cabbage with Turmeric](www.nyonyacook..., [Rasam](www.nyonyacook...) and [Fried Snake Gourd](www.nyonyacook...) are given along with rice and a selection of curries. We also get to add more basic dishes without any additional charges. How wonderful!
Now that you may be planning to prepare Cucumber Raita, do not go running to the kitchen before reading these considerations to making the Cucumber Raita you love.
1. Yogurt lovers vs Non-Yogurt lovers
I noticed how Cucumber Raita in Malaysia have very little yogurt. It is neither a good or bad dish as having a lot or little yogurt is a matter of preference. In fact, I have only learned how to love yogurt just recently. So, if you do not want too much yogurt or like Cucumber Raita to be less creamy, use half the recommended amount of yogurt. No matter how much yogurt you may be using, chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
2. Seed the cucumber or not?
98% of cucumber is water! Most of the time, the seeds will be removed when it comes to Cucumber Raita as the water content concentrates within the seeds. This also makes the dish creamier since there is lesser water content. To take this a step further, mix the chopped cucumber chunks with a tablespoon of salt and leave it aside for 15 minutes before rinsing to remove more water. If you would like to keep the water content, then just mix the dish once again before serving as you will notice water being drawn out of the cucumbers. It is fully acceptable to keep the seeds or have more water content in the raita as they store most of the nutrients in a cucumber. So, it's up to you!
3. Coriander, no thank you!
I am personally a big fan of coriander (also known as cilantro) but there is a big group out there that hates coriander. Hate might be a strong word but it is true! According to [Prof Russel Keast, it is all in your genetics which decides if you love or not](this.deakin.edu.... Sprinkling chopped fresh coriander on Cucumber Raita adds a hint of refreshing lemony taste, at least to the coriander lovers!
If you are preparing for a big group, prepare this dish up to 12 hours in advanced and keep it chilled. Also to be enjoyed with [Nasi Briyani](www.nyonyacook....
Roti Canai
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Rasam
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Fried Snake Gourd
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Nasi Briyani Ayam
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Stir-Fried Cabbage with Turmeric
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