Serves: 4
Total Calories: 64

1/2 cup Coconut Milk or store-bought
1/2 cup dried split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
2 cups water
1 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
10 to 12 fresh whole curry leaves
1 pound small seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 dried red chili peppers, such as chle de arbol, with stems
1 tablespoon minced fresh curry leaves

1. Prepare the coconut milk. Then, place the dal, water, green chili pepper, ginger, and whole curry leaves in a large nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the dal is soft and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Add the cucumbers and continue to cook until the pieces are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

3. Heat the oil in small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the red chili peppers and minced curry leaves, cook about 30 seconds, then swirl into the cooked cucumber and serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 64
Calories from Fat: 1

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Vegetarian Curries
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Bitter Melon Curry
Butter-Cream Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Buttermilk and Cucumber Creamy Curry
Chickpea Pancakes in Curry Sauce
Classic Spicy Curry Sauce
Crispy Fried Okra in Yogurt Sauce
Curried Almond and Poppy Seed Potatoes
Curried Baby White Turnips with Turnip Greens
Curried Eggplant with Hot and Spicy Lentil Nuggets
Curried Fresh Peas or Corn and Potatoes
Curried Jackfruit
Curried Soybean Nuggets
Diced Potato Curry with Pickling Spices
Eggplant Curry with Sambar Powder
Fenugreek Yogurt Curry with Fritters
Green Mango Curry
Haridwar Potato Curry
Hot and Tangy Goan Mixed Vegetables
Hyderabadi Tomatoes in Spicy Tamarind Sauce
Hyderbadi Spicy Eggplants with Roasted Peanut and Sesame Sauce
Kerala Cucumber Curry
Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry
Lotus Root Balls in Classic Curry Sauce
Mango Curry with Split Pigeon Peas
Minty Green Curry Sauce
Minty Pot-Roasted Potato Curry
Mixed Vegetables in Tomato-Cream Sauce
Mushrooms in Almond and Poppy Seed Sauce
Mustard Greens with Cauliflower Florets
Nani Mama's Yogurt Curry with Onion Fritter
Onion Wedges in Curry Sauce
Peach Halves in Savory Ginger-Peach Sauce
Pot-Roasted Fried Whole Potatoes in Yogurt Curry
Punjabi Chickpea Drops Curry
Punjabi Chickpea Flour Bits in Curry Sauce
Punjabi Mustard Greens
Quick Potatoes and Peas Curry with Tomato Sauce
Quick Punjabi Yogurt Curry
Rajasthani Chickpea Flour Bits in Yogurt Sauce
Rajasthani Potato Curry
Simple Turnip Curry
Sindhi Mixed Vegetables with Split Pigeon Peas
Sindhi Tamarind Curry with Vegetables
Soupy Gujarati Curry
South Indian Pumpkin Curry with Split Pigeon Peas
South Indian Yogurt Curry
South Indian Yogurt and Coconut Milk Curry with Vegetables
Soybean Nugget Curry with Red Bell Peppers
Spicy Curried Chickpea Drops
Spicy Lentil Nugget Curry with Potatoes
Spicy Okra Curry
Spicy Puréed Spinach Greens
Spicy Yogurt Curry with Spinach Ribbons
Spinach Balls in Green Curry
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Stuffed Bell Peppers in Tomato-Cream Sauce
Stuffed Potato Balls in Tomato and Coconut Chutney Curry
Watermelon Whites in Tomato and Onion Sauce
Whole Cauliflower in Traditional Curry Sauce
Yogurt and Potato Curry
Yogurt-Cream Sauce with Nuts
Zucchini Balls in Creamy Tomato Sauce