Instructions: 1. Peel and core cucumbers and chop into 1/2" dice. Place in bowl.

Cover
with water and add salt. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours, or overnight.

2. In hot skillet, roast cumin seeds until they very slightly brown and become fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Grind in mini food chopper or coffee grinder. Set aside.

3. Drain cucumbers. Add yogurt, sugar, cilantro and half of the ground cumin. Stir and chill.

4. Before serving, garnish top of raita with remaining cumin and paprika.

Variation: Add seeded chopped tomato 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Add peeled, cored, chopped pear. If whole cumin seed is unavailable, use ground and skip the roasting procedure. Chilled Raita is traditionally served with Indian food as a salad. It serves to cool and cleanse the palate between bites of different spicy dishes.

NOTES : Excellent! Every time. I used this on a Kasha*i* salad - finally got to try it! nutty and crunchy. Definitely my kind of stuff.

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