Kachumber Raita Salad

Cool Pakistani yoghurt salad with crisp cucumber, tomato, red onion, mint and roasted cumin, mixed just before serving so it stays fresh.

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Kachumber raita combines the crunch of chopped kachumber with the cooling character of raita. Removing watery cucumber seeds and draining the vegetables protects the yoghurt from becoming thin.

Ingredients

• 500 g Thick plain full-fat yoghurt (chilled)
• 1 large Cucumber (seeds removed and cut into 1 cm dice)
• 2 medium Ripe tomatoes (seeds removed and cut into 1 cm dice)
• 0.5 small Red onion (finely diced)
• 15 g Fresh mint (finely chopped)
• 15 g Fresh coriander (finely chopped)
• 1 Green chilli (finely chopped; optional)
• 1.5 tsp Cumin seeds (dry-toasted and ground)
• 0.75 tsp Chaat masala
• 0.75 tsp Fine salt (plus more to taste)
• 0.25 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tsp Lemon juice
• 0.25 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (for garnish; optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Wash and dry all vegetables and herbs. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape out watery seeds with a teaspoon; quarter the tomatoes and remove their wet seed pulp before dicing.
2. Put cucumber, tomato and onion in a sieve with a small pinch of the measured salt. Leave over a bowl for 10 minutes, then blot gently with kitchen paper. This prevents diluted, watery raita.
3. Toast cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and one shade darker. Cool briefly, then crush finely with a mortar or spice grinder.
4. Whisk the chilled yoghurt until smooth. Mix in most of the cumin, chaat masala, remaining salt, black pepper, lemon juice and optional green chilli.
5. Fold in the drained vegetables, mint and coriander with a large spoon. Mix only until evenly distributed so the tomato pieces do not collapse.
6. Taste after 5 minutes, when the spices have opened up. Adjust salt or lemon gradually; chaat masala already contains salt and can make the raita overly sharp if added heavily.
7. Transfer to a cold serving bowl, dust with remaining cumin and optional chilli powder, and serve immediately. If preparing ahead, keep the seasoned yoghurt and chopped vegetables separate and combine just before eating.