Made with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, herbs and spices, kachumber is the perfect salad or relish to serve with your Indian meal. Here I also share some amazing variations of this flavor packed recipe.
Scrub and rinse all the vegetables and pat dry. Rinse herbs and spin in a salad spinner.
Choose the style of cut for vegetables — large dice, small dice, julienne, shred or using a spiralizer. (Read blog post above for more information.) Maintain the same size and style for all vegetables.
Cut all the onions, tomatoes and cucumber. Then transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add the green chilies, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cumin.
Toss well and adjust seasoning as per taste. Drain any juices released. Serve immediately.
Notes
Choose very fresh vegetables.
Tomatoes: Choose firm variety such as roma tomatoes.
Cucumber: If using American cucumbers, be sure to peel them.
Julienned Kachumber with Tamarind Paste: Combine 2 to 3 teaspoons of tamarind paste with equal amount of water and stir in the seasonings. Be sure to use cumin and mint with this version. Add julienned vegetables and toss well. Adjust seasoning, drain excess juices and serve.
Tamarind: You can soak dried tamarind and extract the juice. But tamarind paste is easy to use and available at most super markets or ethnic grocery stores.
Other Vegetables: Use avocados for a creamy bite; pomegranates for a burst of sweetness; carrots, bell peppers, beets or radish for a firm bite. Add cut beets in the end and don’t stir it too much to prevent colors leaching into the salad.
Make Ahead: Scrub or rinse the vegetables ahead. Carrots, bell peppers, radish can be cut and refrigerated in advance. Separate pomegranate arils and have it ready.
Storage and Leftovers: Kachumber does not last very well. At best, you can refrigerate it for a day or so. Drain any juices before using the leftovers.
For more information on ingredients, variations and serving suggestions, scroll up the page to the blog post.