Kosambri or Salad

Typical definition of a Kosambri is a salad made from Bengal gram (kadale beLe) and split Mung bean (hesaru beLe) with some seasoning of mustard seeds + green chilies and garnished with coconut + cilantro +lemon. This is prepared on every auspicious occasion and served primarily before all other dishes.

You can also make kosambri with grated raw vegetables (you can either mix vegetables and lentils or just make it with raw vegetables). Perhaps that’s how it became famous as Indian Salad.
Today’s salad would be Carrot Kosambri, VitA veggie. Carrot kosambri being 1 of my favorites used to be a frequent dish accompanied with anna + tomato saaru (rice+ tomato rasam) @ mom’s place & I adore this combo till date. Probably that was the first dish that I learnt as a student and boasted off my cooking skills ;)…. gradually I realized that carrot kosambri was one of the easiest and fastest dish one could make: -p. And now it’s become our preferred salad during the week/ some quick Indian salad for parties/ after a long tiring journey or just a sudden snacking :)!!!
Here goes the ingredients and procedure for making Carrot Kosambri.

You Need:
Grated Carrot – 1 Cup
Grated coconut – 4 Tbspn
Cilantro – 2 Tbspn
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste

For seasoning
Oil – 1 Tbspn
Mustard Seeds – ½ tspn
Split chickpeas OR Kadale beLe/ Chana dal – 1tspn
Black gram OR Uddina beLe/ Urad dal – 1tspn
Pinch of Turmeric
Pinch of Asafetida
Curry Leaves chopped – 1tspn
Green Chilies – 1 (u can adjust according to your spice requirement)

Method:

• Take grated carrot in a big bowl.
• Heat oil in a kadai or pan. To this add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter then add split chickpeas, black gram, turmeric, and asafetida and lastly add curry leaves and green chilies. Mix well and turn off the heat.
• Add this seasoning to the grated carrot; mix well with some salt and grated coconut.
• You can give finishing touches with a dash of lemon juice and lots of Cilantro.
  Carrot kosambri is ready to be relished. Yep it was as fast as u read this procedure….go on
  Note: The above picture that I have posted has both the traditional kosambris and the carrot kosambri.
  
  Serving Suggestions: You can serve as a salad or a side dish with phulkas/chapattis. Tastes best with rice and rasam combo.
  
  Variations:
  You can replace grated carrot with grated beetroot, sweet corn kernels or finely chopped cucumber.
  Try replacing grated coconut with coarsely crushed putani or hurgadle to get a crunchy effect.
  Few of them like to mix pre soaked and drained lentils to the veggies to increase the nutritional value.
  
  Hope you all like this simple nourishing recipe. Looking forward to welcome the ‘Hosa Varusha’ (New year) with more and more delectable recipes and memories :)!
  Till then have a Gr8 week ahead.

This dish has been submitted in the Durga Puja Food Festival which you can reach by clicking here