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Baladi salad
Chopped tomato and cucumber salad
Salata baladi: Egypt's everyday chopped tomato, cucumber and onion salad
Salata baladi, the 'country salad', is on every Egyptian table, from Cairo koshari shops to Alexandria fish restaurants and home lunches, next to the rice and bread. It is finely diced tomato, cucumber, onion and green chilli, with a little parsley, a big squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cumin that makes it taste Egyptian rather than Levantine. It takes ten minutes and cuts through rich food like molokhia or mahshi. Chef's tip: dice everything small, about the size of a chickpea, so each spoonful carries a bit of everything.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 ripe tomatoesfinely diced
- 2 small cucumbersfinely diced
- ½ red onionfinely chopped
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried mint (optional)
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Method
0/2 doneStep 1: Put 4 ripe tomatoes, 2 small cucumbers, ½ red onion, 1 green chilli and ½ oz flat-leaf parsley in a bowl. If your onion is very sharp, rinse it in cold water first and drain well.
Step 2: Whisk 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp dried mint in a cup. Pour over the vegetables just before serving and toss. A common mistake is salting it early: the tomatoes and cucumber give up their water and you get a puddle. Taste and add more lemon if it needs to be brighter.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does baladi salad take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of small cucumbers?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
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