Tastiest Cucumber Salad

If you are wondering what’s so interesting about a bland cucumber salad, then you have to read this! The picture doesn’t do justice because I couldn’t bother shooting an aesthetic one, so pardon me for that.
The last couple of weeks have been too delicious, too rich and too over-stimulating for my gustatory receptors. Oh, I am not at all complaining. It was a delight, no doubt! So today as we look at some wonderful left-overs and honestly most times we actually look forward to them, I am finding myself more and more wanting a refreshing salad instead. This when biryani is beckoning. I KNOW…Go figure!

As I went about my day after having papaya for breakfast, I thought maybe by lunch time I might give-in to the temptations. The earlier me would not have been able to resist the pull but it’s been a while (more like 4 years) now that I have been able to listen to my body (not the mind, mind you!) more closely. Not just listen but more importantly honour what it needs.

So lunch time arrives and I want that cucumber salad more than anything. I don’t have a recipe or a clear idea of what I was going to make. I just go with the flow with what’s available. I prepped the cucumbers and decide to add a couple of tomatoes and a thinly sliced onion to the mix. Just that moment, the idea of adding a crumble of cottage/feta/ricotta (basically homemade paneer) comes to mind. That would definitely take the salad a notch higher. So I quickly boiled a glass of milk and squeezed in lemon to break it up. (Yes, just one glass of milk, as I just wanted it to a garnish and not too much)

After chopping the cucumbers and tomatoes, I add the onions. I make a light vinaigrette with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar (homemade) and a few drops of olive oil and tossed them together. Added the crumbled paneer and a dash of salt and pepper.
I get a last minute brain wave to add some freshly chopped mint over it and what a difference it made!

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber cubed
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1 small onion sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss well.
• Drizzle the vinaigrette and enjoy!
• Remember to serve it chilled.

As I took a morsel of the salad and settle on my chair, my mouth literally exploded with flavor. The refreshing mint and the subtle acidity of tomatoes, the juicy cucumber and the mild sharpness of onion all married together with the light notes in the vinaigrette, was simply heavenly.

Will you believe me if I said I had to close my eyes to enjoy it thoroughly (the way they exaggerate on those food commercials)? What can I say, I did that! And that burst of flavor continued bite after bite; the same immersive experience. My body was thanking me and I was thanking my body for all it does. It became an exercise in gratitude.
I always eat my meals mindfully – no work, no tv, no reading or phone conversation, so this wasn’t anything new but I didn’t think salad eating would be this enjoyable and hence decided to share it here.

What was a dish you enjoyed like this lately?