Salad recipes for an Indian lunch and Ayurveda
Kuchumma salad
Kuchumma is the the simplest salad that goes with a number of Indian dishes and meal menus. It is a simple mix of finely diced two or more of the following fresh vegetables: tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, beetroots, carrots, spinach, cabbage, boiled potatoes, coriander leaves, turnips and radishes. The only addition to the vegeatables is salt and lemon juice. This kuchumma salad tastes even better when the vegetables are grated, allowing the juices to blend. Add salt just before serving. It goes well with any rice dish.
Chokha
In the Eastern part of India roasted potatoes and brinjals are mashed up and salt, green chilly, diced onions and a dash of mustard oil is added to the dish. It works as a side dish, or the main dish if it is Bati-chokha, the chokha being this potato-brinjal dish.
Ginger-lemon juice
Fresh ginger juliennes soaked in lemon juice and sea or black salt. This can be kept for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Garlic-lemon juice
Fresh garlic pods soaked in lemon juice and sea or black salt. To bring out the best taste, allow the garlic a day’s time to absorb the lemon juice. Can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
Sun cooked garlic-ginger-green chilly salad/pickle
Take the above two recipes and add green chillies. Bottle and keep in the sun for a day. This salad/pickle can be stored in an air tight container and refrigerated and used up to 7 days.
Onion-lemon juice
Freshly sliced onions soaked in lemon juice and sea or black salt. Serve fresh.
Ayurvedically speaking
According to Ayurveda, raw vegetables are best had during lunch, when the digestive agni is at its peak. The ginger-lemon juice salad, of course is an enhancer of digestive agni, therefore can be had with dinner too. Onion-lemon juice salad is great for the Indian summer. It protects one from the heat. The kuchumma salad is great for Kapha body types.
