cucumber
Minted Cucumber Yogurt Salad- Khiar biLaban
This is a refreshing summer salad, made with fresh cucumbers and mint. The traditional Levantine recipe is nice and garlicky, but I also like to add some finely minced or grated onion. It goes very well with kabobs/grilled meats as well as with rice dishes. It is also good to eat alongside very spicy foods and curries, as the yogurt and mint help to moderate the palate’s flame 🙂
Minted Cucumber Yogurt Salad – Khiar biLaban
1 tablespoon finely minced (or grated) onion
1 small clove garlic, finely minced, and mashed with the side of a knife
2 teaspoons fresh mint, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon dry mint)
3 mini/persian cucumbers, chopped in small, uniform pieces
1 cup yogurt, preferably Greek
Salt and Pepper, to taste (at least 1/2 teaspoon salt)
Stir yogurt well, so that it becomes creamy in texture.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to incorporate completely.
The salad could be eaten immediately, but I prefer to allow it to chill for an hour or two, especially if dried mint is used.
Tahini Salad – Salata Tahina
This is a traditional salad that you’ll find on any Palestinian mezzeh spread. It is a standard Arabic salad of uniformly small chopped cucumber and tomatoes, with a tahini lemon dressing.
Salata Tahini – Salad with Tahini Dressing
1 tomato, chopped into small pieces
1 mini cucumber, chopped into small pieces
3 tablespoons tahini
juice of half a lemon
1/3 clove garlic, mashed to a paste (optional)
Salt to taste
Put tomatoes and cucumbers in a small bowl.
Make tahini dressing: put tahini in small bowl. Add lemon juice and garlic (if using). Combine until you have a thick paste the consistency of peanut butter. Add 1/4 cup of water. You can use less if you’d like a thicker dressing. Stir to blend completely smooth and pour over tomato and cucumber.
Combine gently and serve in small individual bowls.
My suggestion is to completely combine the dressing with the salad and taste it before adding any salt. The lemon and tahini flavors will decrease the amount of salt needed.
