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Salads are always a part of an Indian meal, especially during the hot summer months. Most are a medley of fresh vegetables tossed with a splash of lemon juice and a sprinkling of your choice of exotic and aromatic spice powders.

Salads are more elaborate for parties, with vegetables cut in the form of flowers, plants, bird plumes, etc. Indian salads with a simple dressing pair well with curries, dals, sabzis, and rice dishes.

Indian salads include Kachumber (a combination of chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and green chilies), veggies like cucumber and potato mixed with yogurt, and Kachumber Raita (Kachumber mixed with yogurt).

As access to cooking videos via social media has grown exponentially. Salads in urban areas of India have also started to include more Western style salads and dressings. Boiled chickpeas, black beans, sprouted beans, paneer, cheese, and seeds like peanuts, sunflower, cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds, raisins, and pomegranate seeds have found their way into Indian salads.

If you choose to include a salad in an Indian meal you are fixing, there are no hard and fast rules! Use your palate and imagination to create your masterpiece.

Popular vegetables used in Indian salads are onions (red or yellow), boiled beetroot, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, red radish, daikon radish (long white Japanese radish), green chilies, fresh mint, and coriander, along with a sprinkling of lemon juice

Seasoning spice powders choices for salads are black pepper, chaat masala, black salt, chili powder, and salt.

Since my hubby’s retirement, he has expanded his creative side to fixing us salads. I would be remiss if I did not include pics of some of his creations!

An Indian Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Indian salads with a simple dressing pair well with curries,dals, sabzis, and rice dishes.

Ingredients

  • ½ medium red onion
  • ½ medium daikon radish (peeled, cut in half, and then into strips)
  • 1 medium carrot (peeled, cut in half, and then into strips)
  • 1 large tomato (sliced into 8 wedges—keep the base intact)
  • 4 red radishes (greens removed, and quartered)
  • 1 medium cucumber (sliced into rounds)
  • ½ lemon or lime

Instructions 

  • On a salad or large plate, arrange the onions at the edge of the plate at spaced intervals.
  • Next, layer your cucumber at the base of the onions rounds.
  • Arrange your carrot and daikon strips between the onions.
  • Now place your tomatoes in the center of the plate and the radish in the center of the tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle lemon juice and your choice of spice powders. 

Notes

My husband Al's special U & A salad for me.
Course: Salad, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: cumcumber, fresh vegetables, salad, tomatoes

 

Kachumber Raita is a side dish made out of yogurt mixed with fresh vegetables. The raita compliments a meal, especially pilafs. It tastes good with dal and rice as well.

Kachumber Raita

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Kachumber Raita is a variation of Kachumber which is an Indian salsa blend of raw vegetables green chili and cilantro.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain yogurt (whole or low fat )
  • 1 medium onion (chopped fine)
  • 1 medium tomato (chopped fine)
  • 1 medium Serrano chili (chopped fine, optional)
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped fine—save a little for garnish)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper powder

Instructions 

  • In a bowl beat yogurt until smooth. If it is too thick add a dash of water.
  • Gently stir in salt and pepper and do a taste test. Add more or less salt and pepper if you desire.
  • Add the chopped vegetables. Mix all the ingredients so they are well coated with the yogurt.
  • Pour into a serving dish and garnish with a sprinkling of chili powder and roasted cumin powder.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: cucumber, kachumber, raita, yogurt

Raitas are side dishes to Indian cuisine made out of yogurt mixed with fresh vegetables or boondi (a fried snack made from chickpea flour). Sometimes, cooked vegetables are added as well. Raitas compliment a meal, especially pilafs. They also taste good with dal and rice.

 

Kheera Raita (Cucumber Yogurt)

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
A refreshing, healthy yogurt sauce that goes well with any meal or as a great side to a barbecue. It can also be used as a salad or a dip.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain yogurt (nonfat, fat free, or whole)
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled and grated (use the large side of the grater)
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • red chili powder (more or less totaste)
  • ¼ tsp coriander powder (roaste)

Instructions 

  • Whisk the yogurt until it is smooth.
  • Squeeze the excess water from the grated cucumber.
  • Add the cucumber to the yogurt and mix together.
  • Add the salt and pepper. Mix together.
  • Pour into a serving dish.
  • Sprinkle with chili powder and roasted cumin powder.
  • Serve as a side to any Indian meal.

Notes

Thanks to Photo by Kelly Neil on Unsplash for the great photo of the cucumbers!
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: cucumber, kheera, raita, yogurt