by POPSUGAR Food 11

When my friend Kari last prepared her amazing kefta with egg, she paired it with this light and simple cucumber salad. The cool crispness of the salad complemented the earthy spice of the meatballs and I found myself reaching for seconds and thirds. This dish is great as a side, but during the summer I tend to crave easy, fresh dishes, so I think I'll enjoy it on its own. To see just how simple it is, check out the recipe - just read more

Cucumber salad
Adapted From Tastes of North Africa by Sarah Woodward

2 cucumbers
sea salt
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tsp orange flower water
4 tsp super fine sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Peel cucumbers and grated (if you're feeling lazy, go ahead and just finely chop them).
2. Place in a colander, sprinkle generously with salt and leave to drain for 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze dry with your hands - Omit this step if you chopped instead of shredded.
4. Whisk together the orange and lemon juices, the orange flower water and sugar.
5. Pour sugar mixture over the grated cucumber.
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chill very thoroughly before serving.

Note: Orange flower water can be difficult to come by, look for it in the "ethnic" aisle of the grocery store, or at specialty stores. If you can't find it, substitute with 2 tsp orange extract or 3 tsp orange zest.