Vellirikkai Thogayal

1 lg Cucumber

3 tb Sesame oil

1 ts Black mustard seeds

1 ts Urad dal, white

1/2 ts Methi (fenugreek)

2 Dried red chillies

1/2 tb Tamcon paste

1 pn Hing

Salt; to taste Peel cucumber, slit into half, scoop out seeds. Slit into further narrow strips and cut tiny pieces as for kachumbar. Should not be grated as this gives no 'bite' feel in the mouth. Next, warm the oil and fry all ingredients except the tamarind. Mustard should stop spluttering and dal/methi should turn brown. Drain out these fried spices into a blender, leaving oil behind in pan. Add cucumber and stir fry for two minutes, no more. Add tamcon to spices in blender and with half the cucumber run on low speed till everything looks coarsely ground and blended. Remove into a bowl, add remaining cucumber pieces and mix well. U15297@uicvm.bitnet (Shyamala Parameswaran)