Vellarikka Pachadi | Kerala Cucumber Pachadi
If you are looking for some different types of Raita Recipes, look no further. This recipe of Vellarikka Pachadi is going to be just the apt one for you. Also known as Cucumber Pachadi, this preparation is a Kerala style raita which is super simple, yet supremely delicious and quite nutritious too. This gluten free dish is made with cucumber, curd, coconut and some typical South Indian spices. It is mildly spiced and is also quite cooling for the body because of both the yogurt and cucumber in it. Give it a try!
The taste is very different from the North Indian version of Cucumber raita and goes extremely well as a side dish with sambar-rice or parippu-rice.
Kichadi and pachadi recipes are made for the onam sadya. Veggies and fruits are used to make kichadi or pachadi. I usually make cucumber raita as a side dish to go with the meals at times, but preparing cucumber pachadi had a surprise element as far as the taste is concerned.
For the recipe method, I referred to some cookbooks I have and used the ingredients as per my own sense of proportions.
In this cucumber pachadi recipe, I have used regular cucumber, but you can even use the yellow cucumber (madras cucumber). Remove the seeds if using yellow cucumber.
The recipe of Vellarikka Pachadi is easy and quick one. Apart from the cucumber and curd, other ingredients too that go into making this dish are really basic and available in most of Indian home kitchens. So, whether a South Indian household or no, you will find it quite hassle-free to prepare this dish.
You can also refrigerate and then serve. Leftover cucumber pachadi can be refrigerated.
How to make Vellarikka Pachadi
Preparing coconut-mustard seeds paste
1. In a grinder jar take ¼ cup coconut, ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 green chili (chopped).
2. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and grind till smooth. Keep the coconut paste aside.
Cooking cucumber
3. Rinse, peel and chop 1 medium to large cucumber. You will need 1 cup of chopped cucumber. Add the cucumber to a pan with ¼ cup water.
4. Keep the pan on stovetop and on a low-medium heat cook the cucumber for 5 to 6 minutes. Do stir at intervals.
5. Let most of the water evaporate from the pan. The cucumber will also have cooked taste.
Making cucumber pachadi
6. Then add the ground coconut paste.
7. Add salt as per taste.
8. Mix very well
9. And cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat. Then keep the pan down and let this mixture cool down.
10. Beat 1 cup curd with a spoon or wired whisk till smooth.
11. Once the cucumber+coconut mixture has cooled down or become warm, then add the beaten curd.
12. Mix very well.
Tempering cucumber pachadi
13. Heat ½ tablespoon coconut oil in a tadka pan or a small frying pan. Add ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds.
14. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
15. Then add 1 dry red chili (halved and seeds removed) and 5 to 6 curry leaves.
16. Fry for a few seconds till the curry leaves become crisp and the red chili changes color. Do not burn.
17. Pour the tempering into the pachadi mixture.
18. Mix very well.
19. Serve vellarikka pachadi as a side dish with sambar-rice or steamed rice. You can also refrigerate and then serve. Leftover cucumber pachadi can be refrigerated.
Few more tasty recipes for you!
- Allam pachadi – ginger chutney
- Tomato pachadi
- Pineapple pachadi
- Cabbage pachadi
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
for grinding
- ¼ cup grated fresh coconut
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 green chili, chopped
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water or add as required
for cooking cucumber (vellarikka)
- 1 medium to large cucumber or 1 cup chopped cucumber
- ¼ cup water
other ingredients
- ½ cup Curd – beaten
- salt as required
for tempering vellarikka pachadi
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 dry red chili
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
Instructions
preparing coconut-mustard seeds paste
- In a grinder jar take ¼ cup coconut, ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 green chili (chopped).
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and grind till smooth. Keep the coconut paste aside.
cooking cucumber
- Rinse, peel and chop 1 medium to large cucumber. You will need 1 cup of chopped cucumber. Add the cucumber in a pan with ¼ cup water.
- Keep the pan on stove top and on a low-medium flame cook the cucumber for 5 to 6 minutes. Do stir at intervals.
- Let most of the water evaporate from the pan. The cucumber will also have a cooked taste.
making vellarikka pachadi
- Then add the ground coconut paste.
- Add salt as per taste.
- Mix very well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame. Then keep the pan down and let this mixture cool down.
- Beat 1 cup curd with a spoon or wired whisk till smooth.
- Once the cucumber+coconut mixture has cooled down or become warm, then add the beaten curd.
- Mix very well.
tempering vellarikka pachadi
- Heat ½ tablespoon coconut oil in a tadka pan or a small frying pan.
- Add ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds.
- Let the mustard seeds crackle.
- Then add 1 dry red chili (halved and seeds removed) and 5 to 6 curry leaves.
- Fry for a few seconds till the curry leaves become crisp and the red chili changes color. Do not burn.
- Pour the tempering in the pachadi mixture.
- Mix very well.
- Serve vellarikka pachadi as a side dish with sambar-rice or steamed rice. you can also refrigerate and then serve. Left over cucumber pachadi can be refrigerated.
Notes
- Remove the seeds if using yellow cucumber.
Nutrition
This Vellarikka pachadi post from the archives, originally published in September 2017 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
It’s a great recipe. You can replace cucumber with either ridge gourd or snake gourd if you choose to. In that case cook the veggies suitably.
Easy recipe and result was awesome tasty Pachadi. Thanks.
Thanks for the feedback on the recipe and the rating. Welcome.
Easy and tasty.
????thankyou???