Name: Classic Kachumber Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 Cucumber, medium, finely chopped; 1 Tomato, medium, deseeded and finely chopped; 1 Onion, medium, finely chopped; 1 Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed; ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder; ¼ tsp Black Salt, kala namak; ¼ tsp Salt, or to taste

10 mintotal

Prep 10 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Ingredients

1Cucumbermedium, finely chopped
1Tomatomedium, deseeded and finely chopped
1Onionmedium, finely chopped
1Green Chili Pepperfinely chopped
2 tbspCoriander Leavesfinely chopped
1 tbspLemon Juicefreshly squeezed
½ tspRoasted Cumin Powder
¼ tspBlack Saltkala namak
¼ tspSaltor to taste

Quantities are for 2 servings.

Ten minutes of chopping and nothing else. Kachumber is dressed at the last moment, so make it when the rest of the meal is nearly ready.

Method

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped cucumber, tomato, onion, and green chilli.
Add the fresh coriander leaves to the bowl.
Sprinkle roasted cumin powder, black salt, and regular salt over the vegetables.
Pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice over the salad.
Toss everything together gently until the vegetables are evenly coated with the spices and lemon juice.
Serve immediately to retain the crunchiness of the vegetables.

How to tell it's done

The salad should be highly crunchy, juicy, and vividly colorful without pools of liquid at the bottom.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

61kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein2.3 g13%
Carbohydrate14 g81%
Fat0.5 g6%

Sugars: 6.8 g
Saturated fat: 0.1 g
Fibre: 2.6 g
Sodium: 592 mg
Potassium: 478 mg
Calcium: 50 mg
Iron: 1.1 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Deseed the tomatoes to prevent the salad from becoming soggy. Only add salt right before serving to keep the veggies crisp.

What to serve it with

A perfect refreshing side dish for any Indian meal like dal-chawal, biryani, or parathas.

Common mistakes

The kachumber is swimming in liquid by the time it is served.: Salt and lemon go on at the table, not in the kitchen. Cucumber and tomato start weeping within minutes of being salted.
The pieces are uneven and it eats badly.: Cut everything to the same small dice. Kachumber is meant to be taken by the spoonful alongside a mouthful of rice, and large chunks defeat that.

Substitutions

Amchur can stand in for the lemon juice and keeps the salad drier for longer.
Leave the onion out for a Jain version; the salad still works on cucumber and tomato alone.

Storing and reheating

Not a salad to keep. Chop the vegetables up to a few hours ahead and hold them undressed in the fridge, then salt and dress at the table.

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