Cucumber Kosambari

Kosambari is South Indian salad. Although salads never take the center stage in a S.I. meal, it is usually prepared as part of traditional and elaborate meals to fill in a part of the banana leaf. Given that there is an emphasis on eating healthy these days (which is actually catching up as a trend), why not revive a few age old healthy recipes and make them part of our everyday meals?

Ingredients:

1. Cucumber - 1 (very finely chopped)
2. Moong Dal - 1/2 cup (soaked in water for 2-3 hours)
3. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp.
4. Salt - as per taste.
5. Pepper powder - as per taste
6. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
7. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
8. Coriander leaves - for garnishing
9. Oil - 1 tsp.

Procedure:

1. Keep the chopped cucumber separate. If mixed with the other ingredients, it would leave out water and the salad would become soggy. Mix it into the salad only while serving.
2. Drain out the water from the soaked Moong Dal.
3. In a small kadai, heat oil, temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves and season the Moong Dal with this. Mix in the grated coconut into this and add the coriander leaves.
4. Just before serving, add equal amounts of chopped cucumber and the seasoned Moong Dal, add salt and pepper as per taste and toss well.