Tag Archives: salad

Malaysian Pineapple and Cucumber Salad

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A refreshing sweet and sour tangy salad that is a perfect side dish to a main meal.

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Chilling Time -30 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cucumber, cut in half lengthways, seeds removed and sliced
1 red onion thinly diced
2 slices fresh pineapple, cubed
1 red chilli pepper thinly sliced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon fresh coriander finely chopped

Method

1. Add the cucumber, pineapple and onion to a bowl.
2. Add the salt, sugar, vinegar,lemon juice, red chilli and the red chilli flakes and toss the salad. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.
3. Transfer to serving dish. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Sambharo – Spicy Cabbage Salad

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Sambharo is rather like a spicy cooked salad always served up as a condiment to a main meal.   It’s usually made with carrots, white cabbage, raw mangoes, raw papaya and hot green chillies – stir fried in oil, mustard seeds and turmeric. It can be served hot or cold.    This kind of a salad is my favourite and any leftovers are used as sandwich fillers for my lunch.  A lot of Indian takeaways serve a small portion of sambharo with ganthia.  Most gujarati thali’s will have a serving of  sambharo. Sambharo is always made hot and spicy and served in a very small portion as it’s usually served  to give the main meal a hot spicy taste.  This is a simple version of the sambharo and it tastes great too.

 Ingredients

4 cups white Cabbage -shredded finely
8-10 small hot green chillies (you can use peppers or jalapenos if you are not able to get the small chillies)
1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or any cooking oil)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teasppon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon

Method:

1.  Heat the oil in a saucepan.

2. Add the Mustard seeds.    When the mustard seeds stop popping, add the cabbage.

3.  Stir fry the  cabbage and allow it to be coated with the oil.

4.  Add the salt, turmeric and sugar (or not).

5.   Stir fry the cabbage and do not cover it with a lid as the cabbage should remine slightly el dante.

6.   Add the lemon, stir and transfer the sambharo to a serving dish.

Note:   You never add garlic or  ginger or chilly powder to this dish.  Nor do you  garnish it with coriander etc.

Tip:  You usually serve it as an extra with your main course or with certain Indian snacks such as lamba gathia.

Grated Carrot Salad

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Ingredients:

2 medium carrots
1 tablespoon raisins
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon Roasted peanuts
1/2 green chilli (optional)

Dressing:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mild olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Peel and wash the carrots and  coarsely grate them.
2. Soak the raisins in the orange juice for 15 minutes.
3.Coarsely chop the roasted peanuts
4. Add all the ingredients under the dressing list to a jar with a lid.Shake the jar to mix the dressing.
5. Add the grated carrots to a bowl, add the soaked raisins, peanuts  and the chopped chilli and mix.
6. Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss.

Serve Immediately.

 


Russian Salad

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Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes

A refreshing salad that’s colourful, tangy and tasty.

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes boiled and diced
240 g / 8 oz  precooked diced  mixed vegetables (green beans, carrots, sweetcorn)
60g / 2 oz  pickled beetroot diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

1. In a large bowl add the vegetables and the potatoes and mix well.
2. Add the salt, pepper, mayonnaise and lemon juice and mix well.
3. Fold in the beetroot and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve chilled.

Piyaz – Turkish Black-Eyed Bean Salad

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A healthy and delicious protein packed salad perfect for picnics and barbeques.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 small red onion finely diced
1 can pre-cooked black eyed beans drained
2 medium tomatoes diced
1 tablespoon fresh coriander
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sumac (I used dried mango powder instead)
1 clove garlic

Method:

1. Place the beans, onions , coriander and tomatoes in a bowl.
2. Add the garlic, lemon juice,vinegar salt and pepper, dried mango powder powder and cumin powder and toss well.
3. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour to allow all the flavours to marinade.
4. Serve with toasted pitta bread.

Beetroot Relish

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Sweetness of the beetroot and the tang from the lemon makes this relish delicious and tasty.

Ingredients:

2 medium raw beetroots

1/4 small  white cabbage

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Juice of half lemon

1/2  tablespoon  sunflower oil

1 green chilli finely diced

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 red dried chilli

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Remove the core from the cabbage and shred it finely.

2. Peel and grate the beetroot.

3. Add oil in a pan when it heats up, add the cumin seeds and dried red chilli, once  the cumin starts to crackle add the grated beetroot and cabbage.

4. Stir fry till both vegetables start to wilt but still retain their crunch, add the sugar, chillies, lemon juice and salt and stir fry for 2 more minutes.

5. Transfer to a serving dish.

Serve as a side dish to a main meal, alternatively use it as a sandwich filling.

French Lentil Salad

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A protein packed and delicious summer salad that is vibrant and tangy in flavour.

Ingredients:

400 g precooked green lentils
3 in piece cucumber finely diced
1 red onion finely diced
10 cherry tomatoes halved
3 sprigs of fresh coriander  or parsley finely chopped
Extra lemon wedges for garnish

 

Dressing

2 tablespoons Pelia olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 clove garlic finely minced

Method:

1. In a large bowl add the lentils, diced cucumber,diced onion, chopped coriander and cherry tomato halves.
2. In a jar with a lid add the olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, pepper powder,salt and garlic. Screw on the lid and mix the dressing to combine it.
3. Pour the dressing over the mixed lentil mixture and toss together.
4. Cover and chill salad for 30 minutes for flavours to infuse.

Serve with fresh french bread.

NB-Soak 1 cup lentils in cold water, drain and add them to a large saucepan with 2 pints water.Cook lentil until al dente and not mushy. Drain the lentils and use them in salad

 

Thai Green Mango Salad

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Thai Mango salad, tropical sharp and tangy mango balanced with sweet coconut in a sweet and sour and spicy dressing. 

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:

I large green mango
60g / 2oz fresh grated coconut
2 red chillies cut into thin strips
1 red sweet pepper cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander leaves
1 small red sweet onion cut into very thin slices

Dressing:

1 tablespoon soya sauce(replacing fish sauce)
1 tablespoon sweet Thai chilli sauce(replacing shrimp paste
1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 red chilli finely chopped

Method:

1. Peel the mango and remove the stone, using a mandolin slice the mango into long thin ribbons (alternately you can grate it or cut it into juliennes) Add it to a large bowl.
2. Add the red chilli, red pepper, half the coriander , onion  and half the coconut to the mango and toss well.
3. Add all the ingredients in the dressing list to a jar with a screw top and mix well.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
5. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and garnish with remaining coconut and coriander.

Serve immediately.