SALADS

Indian salads are simple salads usually consisting of cucumbers, tomatoes, radish, red onions, carrots sprinkled with salt and roasted crushed cumin or sautéed mustard seeds. They may have fresh coconut, peanuts and fried dal added to them for flavouring. They are then sprinkled with lime or lemon juice. Salads in India are not served separately during a meal. They are like a fresh condiment along with the meal. When they are served separately they are like a fresh snack. Indian salads are meant to take advantage of seasonal produce and in hot summer these vegetables with their cool water content, and lime juice make for a cooling treat.

Salad South Indian Style

Ingredients:
1 carrot, peeled and julienne
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
1 green chilli (chilli pepper), minced
1 small bunch of cilantro, coriander leaves minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon/lime juice

For Salad Dressing
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black gram dal (washed urad dal), picked over and rinsed
1 red chilli (chilli pepper), halved
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
a few curry leaves (optional) Method:
Add the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside. Making the salad dressing: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a heavy pan or skillet. Add the mustard seeds, black gram dal, halved red chilli, asafoetida, and a few curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add this mixture to the vegetables. Now add the lemon juice, and mix thoroughly. Serve at room temperature.

Salad North Indian Style

Ingredients:
2 to 3 large Tomatoes, diced
2 large Cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1/4^thcup Onion, finely diced
1 Green chilli, finely chopped
A few sprigs of Coriander / Cilantro leaves
1 to 2 teaspoons Sugar
3/4^thteaspoon Salt
Lime juice to taste

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds that are dry roasted in a skillet and then ground in a mortar

Method:
Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside. Serve at room temperature.

Chaat (Fiery Fruit Salad) North Indian Style

In Indian, this nuclear fusion fruit salad is sold from sidewalk stands as a cooling snack on hot days. Serve with milder main dishes to assure survival to dessert.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. of mixed fruit in season peeled,
De-seeded and cut in 1 cm. cubes
Banana and oranges are a must.
Apple, pear, nectarine, plums, guava, mango,
Pitted cherries, pineapple, kiwi, seedless grapes.
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. cumin seeds, roasted and crushed into a powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. mint
1 tsp. powdered ginger (optional) Place all fruit in a large serving bowl and mix in lemon juice. Mix all the spices in a separate bowl, pour over the fruit and mix well with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour. Makes 6 servings

Aunas Ambo Sasam (Mango/Pineapple Fruit Salad) Southwest Indian Style

Ingredients – serves 4
4 cups mixed fruits chopped (pineapple, mango, apple and green or black grapes depending on availability)
4 tablespoons fresh grated coconut
2 dry red chillies
1 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
2 tablespoon(s) sugar or as per taste
salt to taste

Method:
Mix the sugar into the chopped fruits and keep aside.

Grind the coconut with the red chillies and a little water. When almost done, add the mustard seeds. Grind for a few more seconds till the mustard seeds are crushed. Add the coconut paste to the fruits with salt and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Sprouted Moong dal Salad South Indian Style

Ingredients
2 cups sprouted green gram or moong dal
4 tbsp. onions finely chopped
2 cups tomato and cucumber chopped
2 big lettuce leaves sliced fine
2 tbsp. roasted peanuts
a dash of lemon and salt to taste Method:
1. gently mix all the ingredients except for the roasted peanuts in a salad bowl. Keep refrigerated.
2. Mix in the roasted peanuts just before serving.
3. Serve cold.

Salad Gujarati or West Indian Style Salad

Ingredients:
5 carrots, trimmed, peeled, and coarsely grated
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. whole black mustard seeds
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated coconut or coconut flakes

Method
Toss grated carrots with salt. Heat oil over medium flame until very hot, add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, pour contents of pan-oil and seeds-over carrots. Add lemon juice and toss. Add the grated coconut. Mix thoroughly. Serve at room temperature