Kachumber Salad

A crisp Indian cucumber, tomato and onion salad brightened with lemon, coriander and roasted cumin.

Jump to ingredients | Jump to method

Kachumber is assembled close to serving so its vegetables stay crunchy. Salting at the end prevents the cucumber and tomato from releasing too much water.

Ingredients

• 1 large Firm cucumber (peeled if waxed and cut into 1 cm dice)
• 3 medium Ripe but firm tomatoes (seeds removed and cut into 1 cm dice)
• 1 small Red onion (finely diced)
• 1 Green chilli (seeded and finely chopped; optional)
• 20 g Fresh coriander (leaves and tender stems chopped)
• 2 tbsp Fresh mint leaves (thinly sliced; optional)
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 0.75 tsp Roasted cumin powder
• 0.5 tsp Chaat masala (optional)
• 0.5 tsp Fine salt (add to taste just before serving)
• 0.25 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground)

Step-by-step method

1. Wash and dry all the vegetables and herbs. Use firm tomatoes and cucumber; very soft produce makes the salad watery. Keep the prepared vegetables chilled until you are ready to assemble.
2. Cut the cucumber into even 1 cm cubes. If it has large watery seeds, scrape those out with a teaspoon first. Put the cucumber in a wide mixing bowl so it will be easy to toss without crushing it.
3. Halve the tomatoes and gently squeeze or scoop out the wet seed pockets. Dice the firm flesh to the same size as the cucumber. Add it to the bowl with the finely diced red onion.
4. Add the optional green chilli, coriander and optional mint. Toss gently with two large spoons, lifting from the bottom rather than stirring hard, so the tomato pieces remain intact.
5. In a small cup, mix the lemon juice, roasted cumin, optional chaat masala and black pepper. Do not add the salt yet if the salad will wait, because salt immediately draws water from the vegetables.
6. Immediately before serving, pour over the dressing, add half the salt and toss once more. Taste a piece containing cucumber and tomato together, then add the remaining salt only if needed.
7. Serve within 15 minutes for the best crunch. If liquid gathers at the bottom, lift the salad into the serving bowl with a slotted spoon rather than pouring the liquid over it.