Cucumber Yogurt Salad

(click to enlarge)	Cucumber & Yogurt Salad India - Kheera Rayta
	Serves: Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	4 side * 2 hrs Yes	Raytas make wonderful side dishes to moderate spicy Indian dishes, and this is the most cooling of the bunch. I've made up big batches to take to parties and it's always been well received.
Very similar salads are made in Anatolia, Caucasus (Turkish / Armenian version), the Stans, and Greece (Greek Version).

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Cucumbers (1)
Salt
Yogurt (2)
Scallions
Chili Serrano
Cilantro
Pepper, black

Make: - (2 hrs - 20 min work)

If small unwaxed CUCUMBERS, cut in quarters lengthwise and slice about 1/8 inch thick crosswise. If standard waxed green blimps, peel, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seed mass. Cut halves lengthwise into thirds and slice crosswise about 1/8 inch. Alternatively the cucumbers can be grated.
In a non-reactive bowl, tumble Cucumbers with Salt and let stand for about 1/2 hour, tumbling now and then (this helps keep the salad from becoming watery). Drain very well in a strainer.
Slice the SCALLIONS very thin, including a couple inches of the green part. Chop CHILI fine. Chop CILANTRO small, grind Pepper.
Mix all ingredients with Yogurt and chill thoroughly.

NOTES:

Cucumbers:
If possible use narrow unwaxed Persian or European cucumbers that don't need to be peeled or seeded. If all you can get are standard green blimps, you need to peel and seed them, and weight is after seeding and peeling.
Yogurt:
Use a tart natural yogurt with no sweeteners, not a heavy or bland one either - nor "fat free" - and most certainly not "Greek Yogurt" (a light Leban renamed to fetch a higher price in the yuppie market).
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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Cucumber & Yogurt Salad