Cucumber Raita

This is a salad I usually make to accompany Pulao or even Vatta-Kozhambu Sadam.
It has a cooling effect because of the curds and the cucumber.

Ingredients:

1. Cucumber - 1
2. Curds - 200 ml
3. Green chillies - 2 or 3 
4. Oil - 2 tsp.
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
6. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
7. Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Procedure:

1. Cut the ends of the cucumber, peel it and grate it. You can also finely chop it alternatively.
2. Add the cucumber to the curds and add salt as per taste.
3. In a small kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds. After the mustard splutters, add slit green chillies and chopped curry leaves. Season the Raita with this.
4. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Tomato and Onion Raita

Raita is a kind of salad made with curds. In Tamil, it is called Thayir Pachadi. Tomato and Onion Raita is a basic Raita used to accompany Pulao or Biryani.

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes - 4 (diced)
2. Onions - 2 ( thinly sliced
3. Curds - 200 ml.
4. Green chillies - 2-3 (slit length-wise)
5. Salt - to taste
6. Oil - 2 tsp
7. Mustard - 1 tsp.
8. Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Procedure:

1. Add the tomatoes and onions to the curds.
2. Add salt as per taste
3. In a small kadai, heat oil, temper with mustard seeds and add green chilies. Season the Raita with this.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Italian Salad

This is one salad I really love. I can substitute an entire meal with multiple helpings of this.

Ingredients:

1. Bell peppers ( Red, Yellow and Green) - 1 each
2. Baby Corn - 2-3
3. Sweet Corn - 1 tbsp.
4. Broccoli - 15-20 small florets
5. Olives (gutted and sliced) - 1 tbsp.
6. Fresh Basil leaves ( optional) - 5-6 (finely chopped)
7. Olive oil - 1 tbsp.
8. Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, chilli flakes, thyme, etc.)
9. Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Cut the bell peppers and baby corn into 2 inch long thin strips.
2. In a pan, heat olive oil, add in the peppers, baby corn, corn, broccoli and saute for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the basil leaves and olives. 
4. Add salt and seasoning as required and serve.

Green Moong Sprout Salad

This is a salad I really hate, but G loves it a lot. So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Green Moong - 1/2 cup
2. Onion - 1 
3. Tomato - 1
4. Salt - to taste
5. Pepper - to taste
6. Lemon juice - 2 tsp.

Procedure:

1. Soak the Green Moong in water for 3-4 hours and tie it up in a wet muslin cloth and leave it overnight to sprout.
2. To this sprouted Moong, add very finely chopped onion, very finely chopped tomato, salt and pepper .
3. Add a dash of lemon juice and toss well.

Sweet Corn and Pomegranate Salad

This is the new age salad served in most South Indian weddings of the present day.

Ingredients:

1. Cooked sweet Corn - 2 cups
2. Pomegranate seeds - 1/4 cup
3. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
4. Oil - 2 tsp.
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
6. Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and temper with mustard seeds.
2. Add in the cooked corn seeds and salt and switch off the stove.
3. Add in the pomegranate seeds and grated coconut and toss well.

Carrot Kosambari

I'm on a salad recipe spree. Here's another salad which is easy to make and adds to health.

Ingredients:

1. Carrots - 2 or 3 (grated_)
2. Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
3. Lemon juice - 1-2 tsp.
4. Salt - as per taste
5. Oil - 1 tsp.
6. Mustard - 1 tsp.
7. Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Procedure:

1. In a small kadai, heat oil, temper with mustard seeds, add green chillies. Season the grated carrots with this. 
2. Add salt as per taste and garnish with lemon juice and finely chopped coriander leaves

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.