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.
salad
Chayote Apple Salad with Chili Lime
Each kitchen stint with the chayote teaches me something new. When I began cooking with this gourd, peeling it was hard – till I learnt the techniques of making triangular notches around its folds and boiling it before peeling. Soon I discovered a different variety of the chayote: the “Ooty chow chow”, which has a smooth exterior that demands no fiddling with folds at all.
So I switched loyalties to the Ooty chow chow, as my observant regulars would have noticed in the post on chayote dal.
While cutting raw veggies and fruits, I sometimes pop a few chopped pieces into my mouth. A reflex action if you will, this usually leads me to grimace and move on – but when I did this with the Ooty chow chow I stopped in my tracks. This vegetable didn’t just look like a pear, it tasted startlingly like one. Do I even need to cook this, I wondered.
Chickpea Sundal: Vrat-Friendly Chickpea Recipe
Quick, easy, lightweight chickpea sundal. Just right for those times when our default chickpea preparation – channa masala – feels too elaborate and time-consuming, or when we need a break from the onion-garlic-ginger-tomato masala ensemble. The ingredient list in this recipe is “vrat-friendly” – that is, suited for festive occasions when onion and garlic are avoided.
Chickpea sundal tastes great warm or cold. It can be had as a standalone salad or as a side dish with a bigger meal.
Cucumber Pomegranate Salad
A bright side dish to perk up your mealtimes. Cucumber and pomegranate are loaded with antioxidants, and when they come together, they make a salad that’s the very definition of healthy gorgeousness.
Easy Raw Mango Salsa – No-Cook Spicy Relish
A no-cook style of eating raw mangoes that’s lip-smacking delicious and what’s more – so easy a "no cook" can make it. Just get yourself a good quality knife or peeler and you are all set for preparing this…well, I call it raw mango salsa, though it might not be a purist’s idea of "salsa".
No matter what it’s called – it tastes wonderful!
Chana Dal Kosambari
Chana dal kosambari with lots of carrot, coconut and coriander – the mix of colors and flavors in this salad is so inviting, you can’t but reach out for seconds.
Adzuki Bean Salad with Greens, Cherry Tomatoes, Pears and Cheese
A colorful salad bowl with an assortment of flavors and nutrients. Fresh leaves, walnuts and cheese, crunchy pear cubes, juicy cherry tomatoes give company to adzuki beans in this recipe.