Coloured or Mangalore cucumber has fleshy interior centre part, which has jelly like watery fleshy part with edible seeds. Which are rich minerals and rich in nutrition. Traditionally we call this Rasam as Sauthe kai beeja da saaru. Literal translation of this is, sauthe kai beeja means cucumber seed, saaru is Rasam, which is watery in texture and consumed as an appetizer or with hot rice during summer season to maintain our body temperature.
Before using the core, check the fleshy part for bitterness. If it has bitterness, discard and don’t use in cooking. If you find core part to be flavourful or without bitterness, go ahead and use it in your cooking to enrich your body, like our elders did.
How to make this traditional goodness –
Ingredients:
Fleshy seeded part – of one coloured cucumber
Coriander seeds – 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds – 1 tea spoon
Hing – peanut size
Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tea spoon
Red chillies – 4 t0 5
Turmeric – ½ tea spoon
Coconut – ½ cup (grated)
Tamarind – ½ to 1 tea spoon
Coconut oil – 1 tea spoon
Salt – as needed
Jaggery – ½ tea spoon (optional)
For Seasoning:
Coconut oil – 1 tea spoon
Mustard – 1 tea spoon
Red chilli – 1
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Method:
-Collect seed coated flesh part of one coloured cucumber.
-Cook this in a small cooker for one whistle (cooking will help in extracting the pulp) and cool.
-Grind cooked pulp by adding one cup of water and tamarind and collect the liquid by sieving.
-Grind the roughage one more time, by adding one more cup of water and sieve once more.
-Discard the remaining roughage if any.
-Now prepare masala by heating oil. Add fenugreek at first.
-When it becomes light brown, add coriander, cumin, hing, red chillies and fry until fenugreek becomes dark and coriander becomes light brown.
-Add coconut, turmeric and fry for two minutes or until you get nice aroma.
-Cool this roasted masala and grind into smooth paste by adding sufficient water.
-Add the masala to extracted cucumber seed water.
-Adjust the consistency, add salt, jaggery and boil the Rasam.
-Add seasoning, heat oil, add mustard, red chilli.
-When mustard starts spluttering, add curry leaves and add the seasoning to boiled Rasam and close the lid.
-Serve this as an appetiser or with hot rice with a couple of papads.