Indian Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

We can't take it anymore. Make the cucumbers stop!

I decided a great way to finish them off was to make a giant batch of cucumber salad for our pot luck today. Just to put a twist on it, I reverted to an Indian styled "koshimbir" - minced cucumbers with peanuts and a hot cumin oil dressing of sorts. I never cared much for it as a kid, but it seems like most of the stuff I hated as a kid actually tastes great now - like eggplants and green beans. I figured its the minced part I didn't like so much. So I peeled, quartered and seeded the cucumbers but sliced it rather thick on my mandoline. Add salt and leave in a colander to drain out the excess moisture.

The "dressing" is tempered oil, known as phodani. Heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a thick bottomed pan, add cumin and simmer till toasted. Remove off the heat and add minced chili peppers and a pinch of asafetida. This is available in Indian stores, but if you don't have any, feel free to leave it out.
Once the oil was cooled down, I added a pinch of sugar, finely chopped onion and lime juice. Mix well and set aside. Meanwhile, throw a handful of roasted peanuts in the food processor and turn into coarse crumbs.

Squeeze out the cucumbers and toss with the dressing and peanuts. Taste and adjust salt. Top off with finely chopped cilantro and basil. Eat immediately. The longer you keep it the soggier it gets. The cucumbers are cooling, cumin is smoky and the peanuts are crunchy. The lime and sugar makes it sweet and sour, while the chilies gives it a kick. Its quite simple, but very flavorful. Dig in!