Edamame Salad

Edamames are also known as Soybeans, these are tender beans harvested before they become hard. They have a beautiful green color and have a soft bite to it when boiled in water. Very nutritious beans with lots of protein and vitamins.

I was first introduced to this beautiful beans in a party couple years ago, where one of our friend made a salad with it, and very much liked the taste and texture of it.

For the first time today, I tried to give it a shot in my kitchen. Very simple to make and yet very fulfilling, can be eaten as such or as a side with rice and curry. I had some left overs,which I used in making fried rice, tasted very delicious.



Ingredients

• Edamame- about 1/2 cup (I used frozen)
• Corn - about 1/3 cup ( I used Frozen)
• Red onion- 2tsp chopped
• Calamata olives - about 5-6 chopped
• Roasted red peppers- Few chopped (used jared)

Garnish : Few springs of cilantro leaves and few sprinkles of hot sev for some crunch.

Seasoning : Black pepper, salt, olive oil and lime juice according to taste.

*Grated carrots, tomatoes and toasted nuts can also be added.

1. Bring water to boil, add salt and edamame and boil for 3-4 minutes until they are just tender and still have a bite to it. Drain and keep aside.
2. In a bowl mix, olive oil, salt pepper and lime juice to that add chopped veggies and cooked edamame. Combine well and adjust the seasoning
3. Finally garnish with cilantro leaves and sprinkle some sev on it. Enjoy !

White Carrrot Salad

From last couple of weeks, we are fortunate enough to get a box full of fresh organic vegetables to our doorsteps. Some of the vegetables I get, I am using them for the first time, like White carrots, which I used today to make salad and eating carrots raw is best way to enjoy them.
So here is how I made it.




Carrots - 2 washed, peeled and grated

Green onions/spring onions- 3 springs

Tempering : Oil, Mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

Spices : Pepper and salt. Lime juice - 1tsp.

First grate carrots and finely chop onions.

Mix them with salt and pepper, squeeze little fresh lime juice on top.

Do the tempering, heat oil when hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When it starts to pop, switch off and mix with veggies.

Eat as such, or with rice. Enjoy fresh !

Cucumber Salad

We call this as Kosambari/ raw salad. This is a simple and refreshing salad made with cucumber and Channadal/kadale bele, one can substitute Channadal with moongdal or small cooked lentils.

Ingredients

• Cucumber - 1 medium size
• Channadal - 1/4 cup soaked for and hour in warm water
• Cilantro leaves- one hand full
• Lime/lemon- 1tsp freshly squeezed
• Fresh grated coconut - 1tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste

Tempering : Oil, mustard seeds- 1tsp and red chilli's -1.

1. Peel cucumber and chop finely, rinse the soak Dal and drain all the water. Mix with chopped cucumbers. To this add chopped cilantro and grated coconut.


2. Do the tempering by heating oil , when hot add mustard seeds and red chili's.


3. Mix the tempering with cucumber and add salt and adjust to taste. Finally squeeze lime juice on top mix gently. Serve.

Can be eaten as such or as a side with rice and curry. Enjoy !

Kosambari/ Carrot salad

Kosambari is like a salad,usually made with carrots or cucumbers.I like to call this as 'Indian Salad'. It is served in temples as 'prasada'. At my mom's house during any festival this is a must side dish to go along rice and rasam.

Last year I was In India during 'Shravana Maasa' its the begining of festival season. During this month every tuesday for 5 weeks my mom used to make these kind of kosambari for pooja. So today being one of the tuesday I too made this for lunch.

Here is how I made..

Split moong dal 1/4 (cup soaked in water for 1/2 hour)

Carrot 1 peeled and grated

Coconut fresh 2 tsp (unfortunately I don't get fresh ones, so i used dried)

Cliantro few chopped

Lemon/lime juice 1tsp.

Salt to taste.

For seasoning

Oil, mustard, urad dal and red or green chillies 1.



Method.

• Soak split yellow/moongdal for about half hour. Then drain the water and mix veggies.



• Mix together soaked dal, grated carrot , coconut, cilantro leaves, lime juice.



• Add salt to taste.



• Heat oil, when its hot add mustard seeds,urad dal and chilis to it. When urad dal starts to change colour turn off heat and this seasoning to veggies. Mix well.

Kosambari good to eat as such or as a side dish. For me this is the best salad of all.