Kachumber Salad: Classic Indian Cucumber Onion Tomato Salad

Kachumber – a classic Indian cucumber onion tomato salad that’s light, fresh and oil-free. This healthy side dish made with raw, fresh vegetables gives a pleasant counterpoint to rich Indian curries such as baingan masala, gobi musallam, dahi arbi. And of course, kachumber salad is most famously paired with dhansak.

In Hindi, kachumber is colloquially used to mean something that’s minced. One can 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 ;-)

Ingredients:

[For 4-5 servings]

Fresh vegetables:

• Cucumber – 2 small (~1.5 cups when diced)
• Tomato – 2 medium (~1.5 cups when diced)
• Onion – 1 medium (~3/4th cup when diced)
• Green chili – 1 (more if you want it hotter)
• Lime wedge
• Fresh coriander leaves – a few sprigs

Dressing:

• 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.

Variations:

What to Serve with Kachumber:

Kachumber can be had as a standalone snack, or as a “salsa” of sorts with crisp savories such as papad or nimki to scoop it up with.

Traditionally served with an Indian meal on the side as a salad. Here’s an example: Indian meal thali: kachumber salad, chapatis, vegetable red lentil dal, gobhi methi, potato fry.

FAQ:

Q1. Can I make kachumber ahead of time?

A. The vegetables can be chopped and kept ready for assembling ahead of time, but DO NOT mix the dressing until you are just about to serve the kachumber.

Q2. What happens if I mix salt and lime juice into kachumber in advance?

A. The salt and lime juice draw out the water from the vegetables and cause the kachumber to lose its crunch and color. The flavor of lime juice also tends to degrade and turn somewhat bitter if left to sit.

Q3. Is kachumber vegan?

A. Yes. Traditionally kachumber only contains raw vegetables, lime juice and plant-based seasonings.

Q4. I do not have jaggery. What can I use instead?

A. Sugar, or maple syrup / agave nectar. Use 1/4 teaspoon of sugar or syrup for 1/3 teaspoon of jaggery.

Related Recipes:

If you liked this kachumber salad recipe, do try making other colorful salads from The Steaming Pot archives –