Nothing warms the soul quite like the rich spice of indian food. But Denver February weather didn't need any help on the warming front, so we enjoyed this spread with a lovely breeze flowing through open windows. There isn't much I enjoy more than spending time with these ladies so this gathering centers around close friends and shared tasks in the kitchen.

All of these dishes came from The Complete Book of Indian Cooking. The only recipe I'm posting is one that I modified a bit from the book. If you're interested in trying some of these dishes, or doing more adventurous cooking, I highly recommend purchasing. It is absolutely fantastic; it's categorized by region, and other than obtaining some spices you may have never heard of, isn't overly complicated. All of the spices were found either at Sprouts or Whole Foods.

Cucumber Raita

The cool crunch of the cucumber and mild flavor of the yogurt paired perfectly with the hearty & spicy dishes that accompanied it. The real flavor key is in the toasted cumin.

Ingredients

1c plain whole yogurt
2c diced cucumber
3T cilantro
1/2t cumin
1 clove garlic, diced

Instructions

Toast cumin seeds in dry skillet until fragrant. Blend in spice grinder until a find powder is achieved. You can substitute your generic spice rack cumin, but the flavor of the toasted cumin is phenomenal.
Mix all ingredients together, and chill for an hour or up to overnight, before serving.