Cucumber Gazpacho

Call it a summer salad, or a raita, it's a perfect recipe when you want some light and filling food. No cooking time required and super healthy too. Moreover, Gazpacho is a soup bursting with flavor and exploding with nutrients that will improve your weight, skin, and energy. You can have this as a dip too. We enjoyed with some nachos and chips as well.

Ingredients:

• Cucumber - 1
• Curd - 2 tsp
• Soaked cashew nuts - 7-8
• Green chilli - 1 (or as per taste)
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic cloves - 6-7
• Coriander leaves
• Rock salt - 1/2 tsp (you can use normal salt also)
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp
• Mixed herbs - 1/2 tsp
• Olive oil - 1/2 tsp
• Water - 1/4 cup (2-3 tsp)
• Roasted sesame seeds (for garnishing)

Process:

1. Slice the cucumbers and add to a blender jar. Add all the other mentioned ingredients and blend it to a smooth paste. 

2. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with roasted sesame seeds and some cucumber slices, serve with some chips, nachos or enjoy as raita.

P.S. The recipe video is there on my Instagram and Youtube pages. Do check it out @romisrecipe

BEETROOT RAITA

Most of us love raita during the summer or along with Biryani. And we Indians always like to do experiments in the kitchen. Beetroots are a great source of Fiber, Iron and Vitamin C. And I love beetroot and done many experiments with this vegetable. Beetroot raita is one of them. This is a healthy vegetarian side dish that goes well with roti paratha or rice. I keep on making this, but never updated the recipe on my blog. I love it as a salad on hot summer days. It is made with chilled curd, shredded beetroots and some seasoning. 

The tadka on the top depends on your choice. You can skip the tadka step and keep it a simple raita. But tadka changes the taste of this raita, hence highly recommended. It is a gluten free recipe and vegan adaptable. The juicy sweetness of beetroots coupled with chilled curd and tadka, I bet you will eat this straight out of the bowl. I have skipped the tadka step here. Do try this out and share your views.

Ingredients

1. Beetroot - 1 
2. Curd - 2 cup
3. Dry roasted cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Salt as per taste
6. Black pepper - as per taste
7. Curry leaves - 3-4
8. Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp (for tadka)
9. Green chilli (chopped) -1 
10. Oil / Ghee - 1 tsp
11. Roasted peanuts (optional)

Process

1. Boil the beetroot and peel it. Now grate it once its not hot any more. This method is much more easier then peeling and chopping raw beetroot. 

2. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk curd until smooth. Add 2-3 tsp water at a time to adjust the consistency. Add beetroot, roasted cumin powder, salt and black pepper and give a good stir. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve chilled.

The tadka step:

3. In a small saucepan, heat up the ghee. Once warm, add a pinch of hing, cumin and mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter add curry leaves, peanuts. Immediately followed by a tablespoon of water. Now add the tadka to the raita and cover it with a lid immediately. 

4. You can also add fresh herbs or boiled green peas (optional)

5. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, raita is best served chilled. Stir well before serving. 

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruits, seasonal fruits basically. Sometimes it can be served as a side dish as an appetizer or a dessert. For serving as dessert, you can add fresh cream of your choice. Even though salads are typically thought of as a combination of vegetables, fresh fruit can be a delicious salad toppings with added health benefits. Try this below recipe with all your choices of fruits and share your experience with us.

Ingredients

1. Dragon fruits - cut into cubes 1 cup
2. Kiwi - diced 1
3. Grapes - 1/2 cup
4. Strawberry - 1/2 cup, cut into cubes
5. Honey - 1 tsp
6. Ginger juice - 1/2 tsp
7. Lemon juice - juice of 1/2 lemon
8. Salt to taste
9. Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Chat masala  - 1/2 tsp

Process

1. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. If you are using honey, mix it well with the cut pieces of fruits. You can use sugar or maple syrup also.

2. Serve immediately.