Summer is at our doorstep, and to stay cool as a cucumber through the sweltering heat, adding the fruit to the daily diet is an excellent first step. Not only is the fruit known for its hydrating quality, but it is also rich in nutrients and is an excellent source of fibre.
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Taking to Instagram on March 28, celebrity chef and MasterChef India judge Kunal Kapur shared his recipe recommendation for the week, kheere ke sabzi, where he decided to highlight the humble cucumber.
“If you’ve only ever reached for cucumber in a salad, this might feel like a gentle surprise. In a simple Marwari-style sabzi, it turns soft, comforting, and quietly nourishing. The kind of dish that doesn’t try too hard, yet feels like home on a warm afternoon. Light on the stomach, easy on the heart – sometimes, the most familiar ingredients just need a little warmth to become something truly special,” he wrote in the caption.
The step-by-step guide to preparing the vegetarian dish is as follows.
Ingredients for kheere ke sabzi
- Cucumber, medium (kheera) – 4
- Mustard oil – 4 tbsp
- Dry red chilli – 2 to 3
- Heeng – 1½ tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Cumin (jeera) – 1 tsp
- Fennel (saunf) – 1 tsp
- Curry leaves – a sprig
- Ginger, chopped – 2 tsp
- Garlic, chopped – 2 tsp
- Green chilli, chopped – 2
- Onion, chopped – ¼ cup
- Salt to taste
Mix together:
- Curd (yoghurt) – 1 cup
- Gram Flour (besan) – 1 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
- Turmeric (haldi) – 1/2 tsp
- Chilli powder – 11½ tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
- Cumin powder – 11/½ tsp
- Kasoori methi powder – 1½ tsp
- Coriander, chopped – handful
Method of preparation
- Dice the cucumbers (keep the peel on and avoid any bitter ones).
- Heat mustard oil in a thick kadhai and add dried red chillies, hing, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves, chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies, and onions.
- Sauté until the onions turn soft and translucent.
- Add the diced cucumbers along with salt and cook for five to six minutes until they start to soften. Meanwhile, whisk together yoghurt, besan, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and kasoori methi in a bowl until smooth.
- Lower the heat, add the yoghurt mixture to the kadhai, and mix well.
- Cover and cook on low for another five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the consistency with a little water if needed.
- Cook until everything comes together into a creamy curry-serve warm.
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