SALAD
Bengali Salad
1/2 a cucumber, finely chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 small beetroot, shredded
1/2 cup finely chopped radish
2 medium-small tomatoes
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
juice from 1/2 a large lime
few drops of mustard oil
1 teaspoon crushed peanuts
Place all the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the seasoning and toss the salad until every thing is uniformly mixed. Sprinkle the lime juice, mustard oil and finally the crushed peanuts on top. Offer chilled, about 15 minutes after making.
Bitter Gourd Salad
Bittergourd sliced in thin circles 1 cup
Maida (flour) 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt a pinch
Ghee 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Methi seeds 1/4 teaspoon
Dried red chillies broken 2
Green chillies sliced 1
Chopped ginger 1 teaspoon
Asofoetida 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves few
Grated coconut 1/4 cup
Jeera 1/2 teaspoon
Curd 3 cups
Salt to taste
Mix together maida, chilli powder, salt and sliced gourd. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds and dried red chillies. When chillies change colour add green chillies, ginger and curry leaves and fry till light brown. Grind together coconut and jeera and add to the mix in pan along with asofoetida. Fry till coconut turns light brown. Drain out excess oil.
Separately deep fry marinated gourd in hot oil. Mix together fried gourd, coconut mix, curd and salt. Serve immediately. If you want to use the salad after a while add curd and salt to the dry ingredients 10 minutes before serving for a better taste.
Chana Paneer Salad
2 cup boiled kabuli chana
2 potatoes
150 grams paneer
2-3 firm tomatoes
2 green chillies
1 bunch coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste
1 tsp chaat masala
½ tsp asofoetida
Juice of one lemon
Boil the potatoes (microwave for 5 mins or pressure cook) and cut them into tiny pieces. Finely chop tomatoes and green chillies. Cube the paneer into small pieces.
In a large salad bowl mix together the boiled channa, potatoes, tomatoes, paneer and green chillies. Add salt, red chilie powder, chaat masala and lemon juice.
Add finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix the whole salad together and chill for a couple of hours.
Chickpea Salad
¾ lb. Chickpeas, soaked overnight
Fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh Tarragon, chopped
Parsley leaves
¼ tsp. asofoetida
For the dressing:
2 Tbs. Lemon juice
1 tbsp. Mustard
2-3 tsps. Black pepper, ground
Olive oil 4 tbsps.
Salt to taste
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, put in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and simmer for 1½ hours, until the peas are tender. Mix together lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil and whisk constantly. Drain the chick peas and immediately toss with the dressing, parsley and tarragon.
Karnataka Kosumbari
Payar Paripu
Moong Dal
Green Gram split
Kadala Paripu
Chana Dal
Bengal gram
4-5 green chillis
Kothumbari soppu (kothumalli, coriander, or dhaniya leaves)
Freshly grated coconut
Fresh cucumber and carrot, shredded
Lime juice
Mustard for oggarane' (tarka, vagar).
Soak 50 gms each of Hesaru beLe' and Kadale' beLe' separately for one hour. Grate the coconut to provide one handful of turi (grated material). Drain the water from hesaru beLe' and kadale' beLe'. Peel one cucumber and cut it into small pieces of the size of a pea (optional). Chop two green chilli. Keep one spoon of oil in a banale' (wok, kadai) warm it and put mustard. Wait till they split, then put the chopped green chillies, turn around and put a pinch of hing (kayam, asaphotida). Put the entire thing onto the bele. Add salt to taste and then squeeze the juice of half a lime. Turn around and then put the grated coconut. Adding cucumber or the carrot is purely optional and is not in any way necessary. It does alter the taste slightly. Cucumber makes the kosumbari a little watery and therefore it must be consumed rather quickly (half to one hour). Salt tends to bring out a lot of water from cucumber.
Konkani Style Salad
1 cup ripe, fresh mango, cubed
1 cup pineapple chunks (canned: drain, save juice to grind spice mix)
1 cup mango pulp (available in large cans in Indian grocery stores)
1/2 cup soyi (coconut gratings)
3 suki mirsaang (red chillies)
1/4 tsp. tamarind paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (or less) sugar
1 tsp. mustard seeds
Mix salt, sugar, mango cubes, pineapple chunks, mango pulp in a large bowl. Stir well, keep aside covered. Grind in a mini-blender: coconut gratings, tamarind paste, mustard seeds, red chilies and pineapple juice. Add this ground spice mix to the bowl of fruit and stir till well mixed. Refrigerate. Serve cold. You can also add half a cup of green or red seedless grapes.
Kosambari
1/2 cup moong dhal or chana dhal
1 lime
4 cucumbers
2 green chilies
Salt to taste
Asafetida (perungayam or hing)
Finely chopped coriander leaves (kotthamalli)
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
3 teaspoons of grated fresh coconut
Soak the dhal for one hour. Chop the cucumber into thin small pieces. Mix the soaked dhal, cucumber, salt, grated coconut and coriander leaves. Add freshly squeezed lime juice. To make the garnish, heat up a teaspoon of ghee in a saucepan. After the ghee gets warm, add the cumin seeds. When it starts spluttering, remove from the fire and add green chilies. Mix everything and serve. You can also add grated carrot or finely chopped tomatoes or substitute chopped mangoes for lime. This can also be prepared without the dhal.
Litchi Salad
Litchis, 1 cup shelled
Potatoes 1 cup, boiled and quartered
Peas 1 cup, boiled
Cucumbers 1 cup, quartered
Macaroni 1 cup, boiled
Carrots 1 cup, boiled and quartered
Fresh green coriander 2 tablespoons, chopped
Cheese 1/2 cup, diced
Tomato 1 cup, quartered
Capsicum 1/2 cup
Juice of three lemons
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and toss them in the lemon juice with salt and pepper. Chill the salad before adding the dressing.
Mango Salad
2 1/2 T fresh Lime Juice
2 lg Mangoes
1 ts Salt
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 Serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
1/8 tsp. asofoetida
Fresh coriander leaves
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of water with the salt. Slice the mango flesh off the skin, and add the mangoes to the water, letting them stand for 40 minutes. Drain the mangoes and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and add the lime and orange juices. Sprinkle the chopped chiles over the mangoes, and garnish with the coriander.
Methi Salad
1 bunch of methi leaves
1 carrot grated
1 tomato finely cut into small pieces
1 cucumber finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of asofoetida
2 tablespoon of peanut powder
Salt to taste
Finely chop the methi leaves and add all the above ingredients.
Moong Salad
Moong dal - 1 cup
Chopped cucumber - 2 Tbsp
Chopped green chillies - 1 tsp
Chopped dhone pata (corriander leaves/cilantro) - 2 Tbsp
Diced cooked potato - 3/4 cup
Black pepper 1/2 tsp
Asofoetida, 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sprinkling of lime juice (optional)
Soak the moong dal in water overnight, drain and place in a large bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and toss the salad. You can add as much or as little of the other ingredients. The potato can be either boiled or fried (or both!) but must be cut into small pieces. Makes for a simple, nutritious breakfast.
Pear, Grape and Cucumber Salad
4 ripe but firm sweet pears
½ medium cucumber
½ cup black or green seedless grapes
Peel and core the pears. Dice three of them and thinly slice the fourth. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways, and scoop out seeds. Slice ½ of the cucumber into thin slices and dice the rest. Make a bed of the pear and cucumber slices in a small salad bowl. Put the remaining pear, cucumber and grapes (reserve 5 or 6 grapes) into a bowl and toss them in a salad dressing of choice. Pour this mixture over the bed of pear and cucumber slices. Garnish the salad with the reserved grapes, chill and offer.
Rice Salad
1 cup Basmati rice
1 Apples diced
1 small cup boiled green peas
Few Cauliflower florets boiled
1 lemon juice
Salad leaves to garnish
Cabbage (shredded) for garnishing
Salt & pepper to taste
Boil the rice then let it cool. Once cool, add apples, green peas, cauliflower florets, salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and toss well and transfer to serving dish lined with salad leaves. Garnish with shredded cabbage and coriander leaves
Sri Lanka Beet Salad
1 Can Sliced Beets
2 Tomatoes
2 Green peppers
1 Tblsp. black pepper
½ Tsp Asofoetida
Salt to taste
1 Tblsp Lime juice
Slice green pepper and tomatoes, then add beets and mix together. Add black pepper, salt and lime juice and mix well. Arrange nicely on a plate and offer.
Spiced Cucumber
1/3 t. salt
1/3 t. ground toasted cumin
1/8 t. cayenne
fresh ground pepper
juice 2/3 lemon
1 large cucumber, cut in half then in spears.
Mix the spices, then sprinkle the cucumber with the lemon juice and spice mix.
Spicy Salad on Toast
For the Chutney:
Coriander 1 bunch
Mint (Optional) A few leaves
Green Chillies 2-3
Salt to taste
Sugar (Optional) 1/2 teaspoon
Lime juice of 1/2
For the Salad:
Tomatoes 2
Carrots 2
Capsicum 1
Bean sprouts(Optional) 50 gms.
Paneer (from skimmed milk) 100 gms.
Salt to taste
Few slices of Brown bread toasted slightly
Finely chop the tomatoes and capsicum. Peel and grate the carrots. Shred the paneer. Put all the ingredients of the chutney in the mixer and blend with a little water to a fine paste. Remove the chutney in a wide mouthed dish. Add all the ingredients including the sprouts to the chutney and mix well. Put the mixture on the toasted bread and bake in a medium hot oven or on the tawa till the bread becomes crisp. Offer hot.
Tamil Nadu Simple Salad
Green Gram Dhal - 2 tbs
Lemon - 1/2
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Green chilly - 1
2 Carrots or 1 Cucumber
Soak the gram dhal in water at least 1/2 hour in advance. Peel the vegetable and if using carrots, simply shred them. If using cucumber, remove the seeds and cut into very small pieces. Drain the water from the dhal and add to the vegetable. Fry the urad dhal and mustard and add along with the salt and finely chopped green chilly. Add the juice from the lemon and mix well.
