Kosambari is a traditional Indian salad with pulses, cucumber, and peanuts. It is a healthy, vegan, and gluten-free salad with a delicious crunch. I am sharing a cucumber kosambari salad recipe.
What is Kosambari?
Kosambari is a term for ‘salad’ with pulses, seeds, and cucumber. It is also known as Koshambir or Koshimbir.
Kosambari is a healthy, wholesome, vegan, and gluten-free salad that requires minimal ingredients. You can sample a variety of Kosambari salads in Maharashtrian, Kannada, or Tamil Cuisines. It is served in small quantities at the beginning of a traditional meal to build the appetite or as sattvic prasad in temples.
I am sharing a moong dal, cucumber, and peanut Kosambari recipe.
Ingredients Required
Dal: Use boiled yellow moong dal (mung bean).
Cucumber: You can use either English, Spanish, Chinese or Indian Cucumbers.
Peanut: Skinned, roasted peanuts are a good choice for this salad recipe.
Coconut: Use freshly grated coconut, not the pre-packaged, desiccated or frozen one.
Seasoning: Cumin Powder, Salt, Black Pepper Powder, Lemon Juice, Green Chilli
Tempering: Sesame Oil, Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaves
Other Ingredients: Fresh Corriander, Pomegranate, Caster Sugar
Two Ways To Make Kosambari
Method 1) The authentic Kosambari is made with soaked moong dal and not cooked. Soak moong dal for 5 to 6 hours and drain all the water. It becomes tender with a slight crunch to it. Use soaked dal for making the salad. Rinse soaked dal one more time with clean, running water to get rid of toxins. It becomes tender with a slight crunch to it. Use it for making salad.
Method 2) This is how I make Kosambari. Soak dal for 1 hour, and boil it in salted water till al dente. Drain all the water. Use boiled dal for making Kosambari.
How To Make
Step 1) Rinse and soak yellow moong dal for 1 hour in water.
Step 2) Cook it in salted water till al dente. Transfer to a colander and set aside to cool down.
Step 3) Combine diced cucumbers, crushed peanuts, grated coconut, boiled moong dal, green chilli, salt, sugar, and spices. Gently toss them.
Step 4) Heat oil in a small tadka pan. Add black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and once the seeds start popping, pour this tadka over the salad.
Step 5) Add lemon juice, pomegranate, and chopped fresh coriander. Toss Kosambari Salad gently. It is ready to serve.
My Tried & True Tips
You can make Kosambari salad with soaked dal also. No need to cook it. After soaking for 5 to 6 hours, moong dal becomes tender and easy to digest. Add it to the salad without cooking, along with other ingredients.
Add a pinch of asafoetida to tempering if using uncooked, soaked moong dal. It aids in digestion.
Do not pressure cook the dal for salad. We need a crunch in it and not the overcooked, mushy one. I prefer boiling it in a saucepan, which takes only 10 minutes.
Allow the cooked pulses to cool down before adding them to the salad.
If you use Indian cucumbers , peel off the skin and discard the seeds.
For tempering the Kosambari salad , you can use either coconut oil, sesame oil, or groundnut oil.
A Kosambari salad has subtle and natural flavours. Hence, do not overload it with too many bold spices. Adding green chilli is also optional.
It is best to make Kosambari fresh and serve it immediately. It is not the kind of salad that remains crunchy for days. However, you can meal prep the pulses and cucumbers for the salad and store them in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.
More Indian Salad Recipes
Dal Sprout Salad
Kachumber Salad
Lobia Chaat Salad
Brown Chana Salad
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 Cup diced cucumber
- ▢ ½ Cup yellow moong dal
- ▢ ⅓ Cup roasted peanuts, crushed
- ▢ ⅓ Cup grated coconut
- ▢ 1 green chilli chopped
- ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
- ▢ 2 tablespoon pomegranate pearls
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper powder or to taste
- ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Ingredients For Tempering
- ▢ 30 ml sesame oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon curry leaves
Instructions
- Rinse and soak yellow moong dal for 1 hour in water. Cook it in salted water till al dente. Transfer to a colander and set aside to cool down.
- Combine diced cucumbers, crushed peanuts, grated coconut, boiled moong dal, green chilli, salt, sugar, and spices. Gently toss them.
- Heat oil in a small tadka pan. Add black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and once the seeds start popping, pour this tadka over the salad.
- Add lemon juice, pomegranate, and chopped fresh coriander. Toss Kosambari Salad gently. I
- Kosambari Salad is ready to serve.
Recipe Notes:
- You can make a Kosambari with green moong dal or sprouts as well.
- For tempering, you can use groundnut, coconut or sesame oil. Do not use ghee or mustard oil.
Nutrition
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Kosambari Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Salad Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 Cup diced cucumber
- ½ Cup yellow moong dal
- ⅓ Cup roasted peanuts, crushed
- ⅓ Cup grated coconut
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate pearls
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder or to taste
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Ingredients For Tempering
- 30 ml sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 tablespoon curry leaves
Instructions
- Rinse and soak yellow moong dal for 1 hour in water. Cook it in salted water till al dente. Transfer to a colander and set aside to cool down.
- Combine diced cucumbers, crushed peanuts, grated coconut, boiled moong dal, green chilli, salt, sugar, and spices. Gently toss them.
- Heat oil in a small tadka pan. Add black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and once the seeds start popping, pour this tadka over the salad.
- Add lemon juice, pomegranate, and chopped fresh coriander. Toss Kosambari Salad gently. I
- Kosambari Salad is ready to serve.
Notes
- You can make a Kosambari with green moong dal or sprouts as well.
- For tempering, you can use groundnut, coconut or sesame oil. Do not use ghee or mustard oil.
Nutrition
A creamy, bright, green pea soup is the highlight of my winter season. This is a vegan, gluten-free, healthy green pea soup recipe.
A creamy, bright, green pea soup is the highlight of my winter season.
Surprise yourself with a delicious green pea soup made without cream! Super healthy with only 187 calories per serving makes a wholesome light meal.
More Reasons To LOVE Pea Soup
- full of nutrition
- no cream or milk
- gluten and nut free
- vegetarian and vegan
- easy one-pot soup recipe
Fresh vs Frozen Peas
Let’s take a look at the star of this recipe – GREEN PEAS!
You can make this soup with fresh or frozen peas . But in India, we get fresh peas during the winter, which is the official soup season. Hence I always prefer making this soup with fresh ones. Frozen peas are a good alternative if fresh ones are out of season or if you’re in a time crunch.
But I think fresh green peas give a deep flavour, bright green colour and increase the soup’s nutritional value.
You can make stuffed paratha , ghughni (stir fry) , kachori , matar paneer curry , or matar pulao using fresh green peas.
Other Ingredients For Soup
Garlic and Celery add a lot of flavour to the soup.
Thyme and Coriander with green peas are a match made in heaven.
Coconut Milk gives a creamy mouthfeel to the soup. You can substitute it with regular dairy cream or almond milk.
Potato: It makes soup fulfilling and gives it a creamy texture. However, it is optional to add potatoes.
Stock: I highly recommend cooking peas in vegetable stock or broth. It adds a layer of deep flavours. You can use a stock or bouillon cube also.
Red Onion, Salt, Pepper , Coconut Oil
How To Make
Step 1) Shell the green peas and take out all the kernels in a bowl. Discard the shells and spoilt/rotten/yellow kernels. Rinse peas with water. Transfer to a colander.
Step 2) Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic, celery, thyme, and onion. Saute them for a minute to release their aroma and infuse the flavour into the oil—no need to brown them ( image 1 ).
Step 3) Add green peas and potatoes. Saute them for a few minutes ( image 2 ).
Step 4) Add vegetable stock, salt, pepper, fresh coriander, and stir to combine ( image 3 ).
Step 5) Cover and cook the soup over low heat till the vegetables are fully cooked and soft ( image 4 ).
Step 6) Blend the soup using a hand blender or mixer.
Step 7) Add coconut milk, mix, and simmer the soup for 2 minutes.
Green Pea Soup is ready to serve.
Serving Suggestion
Green Peas Soup tastes delicious with a toasted garlic or focaccia bread .
My favourite combination is a soup and cheese sandwich —the ultimate comfort food combination. But honestly, you do not need many side dishes with a wholesome soup. A slice of good artisanal bread is enough.
More Soup Recipes
Minestrone Soup
Creamy Corn Soup
Mulligatawny Soup
Thai Green Curry Soup
Almond Broccoli Soup
Healthy Mushroom Soup
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 Cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped celery stalk
- ▢ ¼ Cup chopped onion
- ▢ 1 teaspoon thyme
- ▢ ⅓ Cup diced potato
- ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
- ▢ 6 Cups vegetable stock or broth ( Get Recipe )
- ▢ ¼ Cup coconut milk
- ▢ Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Shell the green peas and take out all the kernels in a bowl. Discard the shells and spoilt/rotten/yellow kernels. Rinse peas with water. Transfer to a colander.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic, celery, thyme, and onion. Saute them for a minute to release their aroma and infuse the flavour into the oil—no need to brown them.
- Add green peas, potatoes, and saute them for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add vegetable stock , salt, black pepper, fresh coriander, and stir to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat till vegetables are soft and fully cooked.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, blend the soup using an immersion hand blender or transfer the soup to the jar of a blender. Once it cools down a bit, blend it to a smooth consistency.
- After blending the soup, turn on the heat, and add coconut milk. Stir to combine, taste and if required, add more seasoning. Simmer the soup for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Garnish green peas soup with coconut milk and chopped coriander.
- Serve green peas soup warm.
Recipe Notes:
- If you like green peas soup with a smooth consistency – use a strong stand blender and not a hand blender for grinding the soup. Also, strain the soup after blending to get a smooth consistency. Else, the texture of my green peas soup is coarse.
- If you are not keen on using coconut milk, substitute it with heavy cream.
- You can add a few sprigs of mint leaves also to the soup for flavour.
Nutrition
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