Gajar koshimbir (Carrot salad)

Koshimbir is a salad, served as a side in a full Maharashtrian meal.( Maharashtra-- a state in India). It is generally made with different crunchy vegetables like cucumber, carrots, tomato, onion, etc which are grated or chopped to tiny pieces and mixed with simple seasonings like salt, sugar and lime juice. Peanut powder or yogurt are also part of this salad. It tastes yummy just by itself, but I usually make it as a part of the meal with chapatis, dal, dry vegetable curry, etc.

For this recipe, I found the unusual purple carrot. (It looks a bit dark pink in pictures here) Any other variety of carrot like the regular orange one or the deep red one can also be used. I thought that purple is some new variety of carrot, but I googled for this information about them and was really surprised to know that they were grown as early as 2000 BC. The orange carrot that we know and use are of much newly modified variety. More information about PURPLE CARROTS HERE.

Ingredients:

• 1 large purple carrot (or orange or the red one)
  
• 1/2 -1 tomato
• 1 green chili
• a bunch of coriander 
• 1-2(or more) tbsp of roasted peanuts crushed to powder
• salt and sugar to taste (about 1 tsp each)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• A seasoning made with 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds,1/4 tsp asafoetida and some curry leaves added to a heated  tsp of oil/ghee) --- optional

Recipe:

• Wash, peel and grate the carrot after chopping off the top part.

• Chop tomato and green chili.
• Add it to the grated carrot. 

• Add crushed peanut powder and mix it well with a spoon.

• Add salt, sugar and lemon juice.
• Mix it well.

• Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

• Serve it as an accompaniment to an Indian meal or as a meal by itself.

Quantity:

• 4-5 servings as a side to a meal with other accompaniments.
• 2 servings as just a meal by itself.

gajar koshimbir with black urad dal, chapati and onion

Notes:

• You can use other colored carrots.
• Increase chilies, peanut powder and seasoning according to taste.
• Chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or so before serving.
• You can add a "tadka" made with mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves heated in some ghee or oil and pour it over the salad at the time of serving. I served it as is...without this optional seasoning.

Spinach Salad

 I don't usually like salad made at home, especially leafy salads, which use leaves like lettuce or spinach, which has to be eaten raw. I do not own a salad spinner, and I somehow have this compulsion to wash the leaves, before they are consumed...and that makes them, kinda soggy....which I do not like. However, this recipe given by my friend Gargi, is nice. Yes, the spinach becomes a bit soggy after washing the leaves and adding the dressing, but it doesn't matter. It tastes great. Also, if u use prewashed baby spinach leaves found in the salad leaves section in the supermarket, they do not get wilted and remain crisp ...they are perfect for this recipe.

It is a fresh, nutritionally rich and flavorful recipe. You can add different colored vegetables and nuts of your choice, like cucumbers, grated carrots, olives, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc

Mango Salsa/salad

I had read that a mango salsa tastes really good with grilled fish. However, whenever I make grilled fish...my kids eat it as it is ....or with some rice or furikake. So, usually I make it plain and at last minute. This time I made effort to plan and make this salad ahead...so that we could enjoy with our grilled salmon.

Green Mango Salad

Thai food is my most favorite next to Indian. However, I do not know how to cook it well.  Learning about it slowly. Singapore is a good place to learn how to make good thai food, as you get all the ingredients fresh and cheap. Green mango salad(or green papaya salad) is a very refreshing and unique flavored recipe.