One of the unsung stars of Indian cuisine, kachumber salad is fresh, fragrant, and so easy to prepare. It's criminally underrated, and it's about time it got the love it deserves!
This refreshing Indian salad is set to become your favorite new dish of the year. Full of fresh ingredients and fabulous flavor that work perfectly together, this salad tastes like a dream and it's almost impossible not to fall head over heels in love with it.
Why you'll love this Indian kachumber salad recipe
- This classic Indian salad is a wonderful alternative to popular Western salads.
- It's a great side to other dishes, making a complete Indian meal.
- Indian recipes like kachumber salad make use of fresh spices and vegetables for a delightful flavor
- This recipe is so quick to whip up... it takes mere minutes!
Equipment needed
There are a few simple kitchen items that you'll need to make this kachumber salad recipe.
- Large mixing bowl – invest in a quality mixing bowl to mix up your Indian salad ingredients
- Vegetable peeler – a quality peeler is needed to remove the skin of your cucumbers
- Spice grinder – freshly ground spices are the best way to get a fragrant Indian cucumber salad
- Sharp knife – the key to this Indian kachumber salad is getting the vegetables finely chopped. For this, you'll need a quality sharp chef's knife
- Chopping board – invest in a large wooden chopping board, an essential element to any good kitchen
- Salad serving bowls – serve this delicious Indian salad in style with some colorful salad bowls
How to make kacumber salad
- Place the diced tomatoes, cucumber, onion and green chilli in a large salad bowl.
- Give it a stir.
- Top with shredded mint and cilantro.
- Give it another stir.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice, ground cumin and chilli powder. Give it one final stir. Season to taste and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Popular substitutions
- Cucumber: Use zucchini or jicama for a different texture to your Indian salad, or leave out if not available.
- Tomatoes: Substitute with cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered, for a sweeter flavor and a burst of freshness.
- Red Onion: Substitute with white onion, yellow onion, or shallots for a milder flavor.
- Green Chilies: Use jalapeños for a similar heat level, or bell peppers for a milder, non-spicy option.
- Cilantro: Substitute with other fresh herbs like parsley if cilantro isn’t available, or omit for a different flavor profile.
- Lemon Juice: Consider lime juice for a slightly different citrus flavor, or vinegar (such as apple cider or white vinegar) for acidity.
- Ground Cumin: For a different earthy flavor, use ground coriander, or garam masala for a spicier kick. You could also use cayenne pepper.
What to Serve with Kachumber Salad
Curry Dishes
Kachumber pairs well with rich and spicy curries like chicken curry, lamb rogan josh, or paneer butter masala. The fresh, tangy salad balances the richness of the curry, providing a refreshing contrast that enhances the overall dining experience.
Biryani
Serve kachumber alongside biryani—whether it’s vegetable, lamb, or chicken biryani. The crisp and tangy salad adds a refreshing contrast to the richly spiced and aromatic rice, making each bite more balanced and enjoyable.
Grilled or Tandoori Dishes
The fresh flavors of kachumber complement smoky, spiced dishes like tandoori chicken, lamb chops, or grilled fish. It also works wonderfully with kebabs such as seekh kebabs, shish kebabs, shami kebabs, or chicken tikka, providing a light and refreshing balance to the meal.
Flatbreads
Pair kachumber with naan, roti, or paratha to add a fresh, crunchy side to your meal. It is especially delicious with stuffed parathas, where the crisp salad balances the richness of the filling, adding a burst of freshness with each bite.
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Rice Dishes
Kachumber adds a fresh element to rice dishes like vegetable pulao, pilau rice or jeera rice (cumin-flavored rice). It enhances the meal with a crisp, tangy side that cuts through the richness of the rice, making it a delightful accompaniment.
Dal (Lentil Dishes)
Pair kachumber with lentil dishes like dal tadka or dal makhani. The creamy, rich lentils are balanced perfectly by the light and crunchy salad, creating a more varied and satisfying meal.
Chaat
Kachumber can be used as a topping for Indian street food snacks like sev puri, bhel puri, or dahi puri. It adds extra crunch and flavor, enhancing the overall taste of these popular chaat dishes.
Snacks and Starters
Serve kachumber alongside crispy pappadums as a refreshing accompaniment or as a topping. It also pairs well with fried appetizers like samosas or pakoras, where the fresh salad cuts through the richness of the fried snacks, offering a balanced bite.
Top tips for kachumber salad
- Use fresh ingredients for the best tasting Indian salad
- Peel your cucumbers and if necessary remove any large seeds
- Use Persian cucumbers for an authentic kachumber salad
- Using freshly ground spice seeds is the best way to get a wonderfully fragrant salad
What is kachumber salad?
It's essentially an Indian cucumber salad, a delicious everyday recipe made with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and spices. Kachumber salad is a simple yet beloved staple in many Indian kitchens, often served as a side or as a starter for curries.
Where does kachumber salad come from?
Kachumber salad, otherwise known as cachumber salad, is a light and refreshing salad dish that is a big part of Indian cuisine. There are many regional variations across South and Northeast India, with different areas tweaking the typical ingredients.
What are the best cucumbers for kachumber salad?
There are many different cucumbers you can try. Here are a few suggestions.
Persian cucumbers
These are the best type of cucumber to use for this Indian salad. They contain very few seeds and the peel is soft, you don't really need to be peeled. They are also mild in flavor, meaning they harmonize well with other ingredients.
Lemon cucumbers
These little yellow, round-shaped cucumbers are sweet, making them a great addition to salads. They have thin skins, little to no seeds and have a wonderfully vibrant color.
English cucumbers
This variety is very typical in the UK. They are long and thin with dark green skin – you'll often find them wrapped in plastic in supermarkets, but also unwrapped at grocery stores and farmers markets. They are very mild in flavor with thin skin and minimal seeds, making them ideal for salads.
How do you store kachumber?
Refrigeration
- Storage Time: Store kachumber in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Shelf Life: Best consumed within 1 day for optimal freshness. The salad can be stored for up to 2 days, but the vegetables may release water and become slightly soggy over time.
- Stir Before Serving: If stored for later use, stir the kachumber before serving to redistribute any liquid that may have settled at the bottom.
Freezing
- Not Recommended: Freezing is not suitable for kachumber as the fresh vegetables will lose their crispness and texture once thawed.
More salad recipes
Once you've made this delicious Indian kachumber salad, why not try making one of these:
- Asian cucumber salad – another sumptuous salad recipe, this one has so much flavor
- Green bean salad – fresh, filling and full of flavor
- Aubergine salad – light, healthy and supremely tasty, this salad is like the fresh taste of Italy in your own kitchen.
📖 Recipe
Kachumber Salad Recipe
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions as a side dish 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Brighten your meals with a refreshing Kachumber Salad, a simple mix of diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions tossed in zesty lemon juice and fragrant spices.
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 green chilies, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (optional, for extra heat)
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced cucumber, tomatoes, and finely chopped red onion.
- Add the chopped green chilies, cilantro, and mint leaves (if using) to the bowl.
- Sprinkle the ground cumin, red chili powder (if using), salt, and freshly ground black pepper over the vegetables.
- Drizzle the lemon juice over the salad and toss everything together until the vegetables are well coated with the seasoning.
- Serve the kachumber immediately as a fresh, crunchy side dish. It pairs well with Indian meals like biryani, curry, or grilled meats.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Sodium: 7.6 mg
- Fat: 0.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.1 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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