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Kachumar salad
کچومر (kachumar): Pakistan's everyday chopped salad of tomato, onion and cucumber with lemon and chilli
No Pakistani dastarkhwan feels complete without a little bowl of kachumar, whether it sits beside a biryani at a Karachi wedding, a karahi at a highway truck stop or plain dal at home on a Tuesday. It is nothing more than tomato, onion and cucumber cut into very small, even dice, dressed at the last moment with lemon, salt, green chilli and coriander, yet the crunch and sharpness are what make rich food feel lighter. Some families add a pinch of roasted cumin or a few mint leaves; in Punjab it is often spooned straight onto the side of the plate rather than served apart. Dressing it too early is the main trap, because the salt pulls water from the tomatoes and leaves a soggy puddle. Chef's tip: seed the tomatoes and cucumber before dicing so the salad stays crisp for the whole meal.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 firm tomatoesseeded and cut into 5 mm dice
- 1 cucumberseeded and cut into 5 mm dice
- 1 red onionfinely diced
- 1 green chillivery finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderfinely chopped
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- 1 /2 tsp roasted ground cumin
- 6 fresh mint leaves (optional)shredded
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Rinse the diced 1 red onion in cold water and drain well; this takes the harsh edge off.
Step 2: Put 3 firm tomatoes, 1 cucumber, the onion, 1 green chilli and 3 tbsp fresh coriander in a bowl and chill until you are ready to eat.
Step 3: Just before serving, add 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 /2 tsp salt, 1 /2 tsp roasted ground cumin and 6 fresh mint leaves and toss well. Serve within 20 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kachumar 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 firm tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
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