Rajasthan Kachri Ki Sabzi Wild Cucumber Dry Desert

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried kachri (sun-dried wild desert cucumber — available at Rajasthani specialty stores; if unavailable, use 2 tbsp amchur as a souring substitute in a plain aloo sabzi)
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1 onion — finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder
• salt, coriander leaves

Method

1. Soak the dried kachri: Soak dried kachri in 2 cups hot water for 1 to 2 hours until softened and slightly plump. Drain. Rinse once.
2. Coarsely crush: Lightly crush the soaked kachri using a mortar — just cracked, not powdered. Some pieces should remain whole.
3. Heat mustard oil: Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil until smoking. Reduce to medium.
4. Add cumin and asafoetida: Add cumin seeds — crackle. Add asafoetida.
5. Cook onion: Add onion. Cook 8 minutes until golden.
6. Add ginger paste: Cook 1 minute.
7. Add spice powders: Turn low. Add red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Stir 2 minutes.
8. Add the soaked kachri: Add the crushed, soaked kachri. Stir to coat with the spiced onion.
9. Cook dry: Add 2 tbsp water and salt. Cook on medium heat stirring every 2 minutes for 8 to 10 minutes until completely dry and the kachri has absorbed the spices.
10. Serve: Scatter coriander. Serve as a small side dish alongside the main dal and roti. The kachri adds a distinct sour, slightly bitter note.
11. Note: Kachri (Cucumis callosus — a wild relative of the cucumber that grows in the Thar Desert without irrigation) is one of the most specific ingredients of Rajasthani desert cooking — it is used both as a souring agent (in the same way that other cuisines use tamarind or amchur) and as a vegetable in its own right. The dried kachri has a concentrated, tangy, slightly bitter flavour that makes even a plain preparation intensely flavoured. Used in marinades for meat (kachri tenderises protein due to its natural enzymes) and as a pickle.