Kachumber: Classic Indian Salad
8 Aug
Kachumber – a classic Indian salad made with easily available raw vegetables. Light, fresh and oil-free, kachumber salad gives a pleasant counterpoint to leisurely-cooked, gravy-laden vegetable curries.
In Hindi, kachumber is colloquially used to mean something that’s minced. One might find Hindi film characters issuing threats of making kachumber of their enemies! This post limits itself to the word’s literal interpretation of delicious salad ;-)
You Need:
[For 4-5 servings]
Fresh vegetables:
- Cucumber – 2 small
- Tomato – 2 medium
- Onion – 1 medium
- Green chili – 1 (more if you want it hotter)
- Lime wedge
- Fresh coriander leaves – a few sprigs
Seasoning:
- Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
- Powdered jaggery – 1/3 teaspoon
- Roasted cumin powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Kashmiri red chili or paprika powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Kala namak (black salt) – 1/4 teaspoon
How To Make Kachumber Salad:
Take the skin off the onion. Lightly peel the cucumber if you like (I let the peel remain on).
Dice the onion, tomato and cucumber. Finely slice the green chili. Chop the coriander leaves.
Get the seasoning ready: salt, kala namak, red chili powder, jaggery, roasted cumin powder.
Toss the salad ingredients with the seasoning and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Kachumber salad is ready. Serve immediately.
Meal below: kachumber salad with chapatis, vegetable red lentil dal, gobhi methi, potato fry.
Notes:
Variation suggestions…
- throw in more vegetables and fruit, such as carrots, colorful bell peppers, pears, pomegranate.
- substitute 1/3 teaspoon of jaggery powder with 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
- switch coriander leaves with fresh parsley or mint
Try other salad recipes from The Steaming Pot archives:
No comments yet