Thursday, October 6, 2011

Cucumber Kootu

Bored with cucumber salads,cucumber soups and cucumber raita.Try something
new - Cucumber kootu.This kootu is simple and easy to make and tastes very
good.Cucumbers are cooling to the body.This wonderful,low calorie vegetable
has more nutrients to offer than just water and electrolytes.

Recipe For Cucumber Kootu :

Ingredients:
Cucumbers - 3 (Medium)
Moong Dal - 1 Cup
Grated Coconut - 4 tsp.
Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp.
Dry Red Chilli - 1
Curry Leaves - Few
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp.
Salt - To Taste
Oil - As Required.

Method:

Peel the skin off the cucumbers and dice it into medium pieces.

Boil the diced cucumbers in enough water and some salt until
they are tender but not mushy.

Dry roast the moong dal until a nice aroma emits and then soak
it in warm water for 30 mins.Then pressure cook the moong dal
until its soft and mushy.

Blend together a dry red chilli,cumin seeds/jeera and grated coconut
into a fine paste.Set it aside.

Now combine the boiled cucumbers,ground paste and cooked moong
dal together and stir gently.

Heat a pan with some oil and season with mustard seeds,urad dal,
asafoetida and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

Add the kootu (the boiled cucumbers,ground paste and cooked moong
dal) and let it boil for few mins.

Remove from the heat and serve it hot with rice.

Health Benefits Of Cucumber:

1) Very low in calories - provides just 15 calories per 100 g.Contains no saturated
    fats or cholesterol.Cucumber peel is a good source of dietary fiber that helps
    reduce constipation and offers some protection against colon cancers.

2) It is a very good source of potassium,an important intra-cellular electrolyte.
    Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte;helps reduce blood pressure and
    heart rates by countering effects of sodium.

3) It contains unique anti-oxidants in good ratios such as ß-caroteneand
    a-carotene,vitamin-C,vitamin-A,zea-xanthinand lutein.These compounds
    help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals
    and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various
    disease process.

4) Cucumbers have mild diuretic property probably due to their high
    water content,which helps in checking weight gain and high blood
    pressure.

5) Cucumbers surprisingly have high amount of vitamin K,provides about
     17 mcg of this vitamin per 100 g.Vitamin-K has been found to have
     potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass
     building) activity.It also has established role in the treatment of
     Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.

Selection And Storage :

In the store - buy fresh cucumbers that feature bright green color,firm
and  stout in texture.Look for spots,cuts or breaks over its surface.Do not
buy overly matured or yellow colored since they tend to contain
more insoluble fiber and mature seeds.Also,avoid those with wrinkled
ends as they indicate old stock and state of de-hydration.Go for
organically grown products to get rich flavor and nutrients content.

Once at home,they should be washed thoroughly in clean
water to rid off dust and pesticides.The skin comes in a variety
of colors;do not discard the peel.They can be kept at room
temperature for a day or two,but better stored inside the
refrigerator where they stay fresh for several days.

Preparation And Serving Methods :

Trim either ends using sharp knife and;oftentimes the cut ends
rubbed against the trim piece to remove white color sticky,fluid
like substance in order to lessen bitter taste of tip ends.

Here are some serving tips :

1) Washed fresh cucumbers should be enjoyed as they are without
     any additions.Its cubes are a great addition to vegetable or fruit
     salads.

2) It is also being used in some variety of curry preparation in south
    India with buttermilk and yogurt.

3) Finely chopped fresh slices mixed with yogurt,cumin,coriander,
    pepper and salt to make cucumber raita.

4) Cucumber juice is a very good healthy drink.

5) Fine slices also added in delicious spanish cold tomato and cucumber
    soup,gazpacho.

6) Its rind is also used in the preparation of pickles.














 

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