Kachumber
Pakistani chopped salad of cucumber, tomato, onion and green chilli, sharp with lime and chaat masala. The fresh foil to nihari, biryani, karahi - anything heavy and meaty. Two tools: a knife and a sharp lime.
Overview
Vegetables dice into 5 mm cubes, uniform size matters for both look and dressing. Lime juice, salt, chaat masala and a finely-chopped chilli toss through. Coriander on top. Eat within an hour or the salad goes watery.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber (large, deseeded, diced 5 mm)
- 3 tomatoes (medium, deseeded, diced 5 mm)
- 1 red onion (small, diced 5 mm)
- 1 long green chilli (finely chopped; or to taste)
- A small bunch fresh coriander (chopped)
- A small handful fresh mint (chopped)
- 1 lime (juice)
- 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala (or 1 tsp lemon juice + ½ tsp ground cumin + pinch of black salt)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin (toasted, ideally)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Combine
- Toss the cucumber, tomato, onion and green chilli in a wide bowl.
Stage 2 - Dress
- Squeeze the lime juice over.
- Sprinkle in the chaat masala, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the olive oil if using.
- Toss gently with two forks (don't bruise the tomato).
Stage 3 - Finish
- Stir in the coriander and mint.
- Taste; adjust salt and lime - should be sharp and fresh.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Serve at room temperature alongside any rich Pakistani main.
Notes
- Chaat masala makes it: The blend of black salt, mango powder, cumin, coriander and asafoetida gives kachumber its tangy-savoury edge. Skip and the salad is just diced veg.
- Deseed the tomato and cucumber: Watery seeds pool the dressing and turn the salad to soup. Cut them out.
- Eat fresh: Won't keep beyond an hour or two. Make right before serving.
Storage
- Best within an hour of mixing.
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