Kosambari (South Indian Cucumber and Lentil Salad)
The miracle of raw food without fire! Green and yellow protein bowl with mustard seeds
Description
South Indian super-refreshing festival salad mixing raw cucumbers and raw Moong beans (green gram) just rehydrated in water, tossed with coconut/lemon, finally pouring hot spice oil (Tadka).
Restaurants serving Kosambari (South Indian Cucumber and Lentil Salad)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Cucumber
- Moong Dal(Green gram)
- Grated coconut
- Lemon juice
- Mustard seeds
- Curry leaves
- Green chili
Instructions
- [For
- Servings/Ingredients] 50g skinless Moong beans (yellow split green gram),
- cucumber,
- tbsp grated coconut (fresh or dry), cilantro,
- tbsp lemon juice, salt pinch. <For Tadka (Tempering)>:
- tsp oil, 1/
- tsp mustard seeds, asafoetida (Hing) pinch, 1/
- minced green chili,
- curry leaves.
- As prep, soak yellow split Moong beans (Moong Dal) in water ~
- hr returning soft, drain in sieve completely removing moisture (*Features eating raw crunchy without boiling).
- Mince cucumber extremely small (or coarse grate), lightly squeeze moisture by hand.
- Put softened raw Moong beans, cucumber, grated coconut, salt in bowl, squeeze fresh lemon juice tossing overall loosely.
- Here is South Indian magic 'Tadka (Tempering)'. Heat
- tsp oil in small pan, pop mustard seeds.
- Toss green chilies, unique-scented asafoetida (Hing), curry leaves into oil, frying until just before burning drawing aroma to limit.
- Instantly pour this piping hot spice oil directly into cold salad bowl making 'Sizzzzzle!' sound, swiftly entwining overall with spoon.
- Scatter fresh cilantro to finish. Cucumber freshness, raw bean crunchiness, coconut sweetness, and mustard/lemon sour-spicy stimulation explode in mouth—ultimate raw food (almost) without using fire.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Mustard seeds、Asafoetida(Hing)、Green chili
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Boiled soybeans or corn (lacks raw Moong bean crunch but as salad ingredients)
Pairing
As side dish for heavy meat dishes、As snack on its own
Trivia
[Hardcore] 'Kosambari' is a sacred salad absolutely indispensable at banquets (Banana Leaf Meals) of weddings/festivals (Ramanavami etc.) in South India's Karnataka state. The biggest surprise is 'eating beans raw just rehydrated in water without fire', but skinless Moong Dal is very soft/digestible making this possible. By not using fire, vitamins/enzymes are completely preserved, and a little spice oil (Tadka) drastically elevates flavor—perfect raw food diet Ayurvedically too.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Not just eating as salad, place on crispy-baked ultra-thin bean crackers (Papad), making 'healthy canapés' as liquor snacks!
Allergen
Soy (Lentils)