Cucumber Tomato Raita

I can't keep up with the garden cucumbers, but I am trying. And in keeping with the recent post theme of late - I made this kheera ka raita. It would be great with any of my previous posts (for liver curry or Indian spiced Kohlrabi), and is also just damn good on its own. This is the best raita I have ever had, and I don't really know why. It was SO good! 

The recipe is from Saveur, and I didn't change it other than I only had ground cumin (so didn't heat seeds or grind them, saving some steps and still turning out tasty), and I used a jalapeno because that is what i had. I have been out of onions for some days, so am digging up the remaining green onion bulbs in the garden to inch me along til I get to the store! I also used my mom's homemade yogurt, which might be one of the reasons this was so good. Her yogurt is not super thick - a good regular whole milk plain yogurt. Not the super creamy greek yogurt - which ordinarily is my preference. My mom and I ate this with leftover chicken, rice, and some beet greens with peas that I sauteed in ghee and spices that turned out weird but good. *I thought the raita was just a tad salty, which is rare for me because I am usually a salt fiend. Next time I might try a little less than 2 teaspoons.

Raita with rice and leftover chicken and my veggie concoction!

Raita - yields 2 cups

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped small
• ¹⁄₂ small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups plain, full fat yogurt
• ¹⁄₂ cup minced mint
• 2 small green Indian chiles, or 1 serrano, stemmed and minced
• 1 large plum tomato, chopped small 

Toss cucumber, onion, and salt in a colander set over bowl; let drain 5–10 minutes, then squeeze dry. Heat an 8" skillet over medium-high; cook cumin until seeds pop, 1–2 minutes; grind in a spice grinder into a powder. Whisk yogurt and reserved cumin in a bowl until smooth. Stir in reserved cucumber mixture, the mint, chiles, and tomato. Chill up to 4 days.