SOUthekaayi Kosambari – Cucumber Salad

Kosambari, is a fresh salad made of different vegetables and sometimes soaked lentils. Here is a kosambari made of cucumber, which is a bare essential during festivals and otherwise also a very common preparation in southern India, as an accompaniment to the main meal.
At my place we have this kosambari as evening snack too. Its a cooling, healthy salad to snack up on.

Ingredients
1 no – Cucumber
1/4 cup – Grated coconut
1 tsp – Oil
1/2 tsp – Mustard seeds
1 tsp – Chana dal (optional)
2 nos – Green chillies
5 nos – Curry leaves
2 tbsps – Chopped coriander
A pinch – Asafoetida
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar

Method
Peel(optional) and chop the cucumber finely.
Transfer it to a bowl. Add grated coconut, salt, sugar and mix well.
In a small pan, heat the oil. Add mustard seed to this. Let it crackle. Add chana dal if using at this stage. Let it turn golden brown in color. Add chopped green chillies, curry leaves and fry it till the chillies whiten a little and the curry leaves turn crisp. Add asafoetida and mix. Now pour this tempering over the cucumber and mix it well and garnish it with chopped coriander.

If you are planning to make it in advance then do not add salt to the kosambari. Add it just before serving as cucumber will leave out water due to salt.

Serve it as a part if south indian thali, or as a salad on its own.