Giving cucumber a light salting really improves its flavour and produces a delicate, well-seasoned juice. Combined with apple and yoghurt, it produces a sort of relish, somewhere between a raita and a salsa. Try serving it with a curry, chilli or even a kedgeree.
Serves 4
½ cucumber
2 crisp dessert apples
8 tablespoons thick, plain wholemilk yoghurt
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quarter the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the cucumber into small cubes, about 5mm. Put into a bowl with a couple of good pinches of salt, toss to mix and leave for half an hour.
When the cucumber is ready, quarter and core the apples, then cut into small cubes. Add to the cucumber with the yoghurt and stir well to combine the yoghurt with the cucumber ‘juice’. Sprinkle with black pepper and it’s ready to serve.
PLUS ONE Mint, of course, cannot fail to enhance this trio. Scatter a few leaves, whole or chopped, over the finished dish.
ANOTHER TAKE You can make this into more of a spicy, raita-style dish by stirring in some crushed lightly toasted cumin seeds (see here for preparation). The merest smidge of garlic will zip it up even further.