Cool Cucumber Salad

Greatest Ever Indian, p. 210

8oz/225 g cucumber

1 fresh green chili (optional)

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

Fresh mint leaves, to garnish

Using a sharp knife, slice the cucumber thinly and cut the slices in half. 

Thinly! The thinner they are, the more salad you get.

Arrange the cucumber slices on a round serving plate. 

As you'll see, this step seems pretty unnecessary later in the recipe. But it's pretty while it lasts. 

Using a sharp knife, chop the green chili (if using).

This is where it stops being a "cool" salad and starts being a so-hot-it'll-eat-your-face-off salad.

Sprinkle the chopped chili over the cucumber.

And WASH YOUR HANDS! I did this and then scratched my face instead of washing my hands. It was awful.

To make the dressing, place the cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a bowl and mix together, then reserve.

This stuff is quite good. Keep it in mind for other salads, if you'd like.

Place the cucumber in the refrigerator and let chill for at least 1 hour, or until required. 

Marinating in all that chili juice.

Transfer the cucumber to a serving dish. Pour the dressing over the cucumber just before serving and garnish with a few mint leaves. 

See? Why did I bother arranging it all pretty on the plate?

A nice dinner for a warm spring evening.

My Rating: 3/5 "If you love spicy things, then by all means add the green chili. If you don't, be careful: it can make the salad so hot you'll cry eating it. Either way, the dressing goes beautifully with the cucumber. A crunchy treat!"