India Kosambari
Kosambari is a traditional South Indian salad made with soaked lentils, fresh vegetables, and a simple tempering of spices. This dish is often served as part of festive meals or during religious ceremonies, reflecting its importance in South Indian culinary traditions. Packed with protein from lentils and freshness from ingredients such as cucumber and carrots, kosambari is light, healthy, and incredibly flavorful. It is typically enjoyed as a side dish, but its simplicity and refreshing taste make it versatile enough to be served as an appetizer or snack. Naturally vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher, and halal, kosambari is both wholesome and inclusive.
Recipe Servings: 4
+ 30 minutes resting
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50 g) split yellow lentils
- 1 medium cucumber, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 2 Tbsp (8 g) fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 green chile, finely chopped (optional)
- Juice of 1 small lime
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ tsp (2 ml) mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 pinch asafoetida (optional)
Directions
- Rinse the yellow lentils under cold water and soak it in room-temperature water for about 30 minutes. Once soaked, drain the water and set the lentils aside.
- Finely chop the cucumber and grate the carrot. Chop the cilantro and green chile, if using. Combine all the vegetables in a mixing bowl.
- Add the soaked and drained lentils to the vegetable mixture. Drizzle with lime juice and sprinkle with salt. Toss everything gently to combine.
- In a small pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida (if using), stirring briefly. Pour this tempering over the salad and mix well.
- Transfer the kosambari to a serving bowl and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately as a side dish or salad.
Making the Salad:
Tempering the Spices:
Serving:
Notes
- For added texture, include fresh grated coconut in the salad.
- To save time, you can soak the lentils overnight in the refrigerator.
- Adjust the spice level by adding or omitting the green chile.
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