Name: Kosambari Salad Recipe
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 2 Cup diced cucumber; 1/2 Cup yellow moong dal; 1/3 Cup roasted peanuts, crushed; 1/3 Cup grated coconut; 1 green chilli chopped; 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander; 2 tablespoon pomegranate pearls; 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder); 1 teaspoon black pepper powder or to taste; 1 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste; 2 tablespoon lemon juice; 30 ml sesame oil; 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai); 1 tablespoon curry leaves

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Kosambari is a traditional Indian salad with pulses, cucumber, and peanuts. It is a healthy, vegan, and gluten-free salad with a delicious crunch. I am sharing a cucumber kosambari salad recipe.

aerial shot of kosambari salad in a white ceramic bowl

What is Kosambari?

Kosambari is a term for ‘salad’ with pulses, seeds, and cucumber. It is also known as Koshambir or Koshimbir.

Kosambari is a healthy, wholesome, vegan, and gluten-free salad that requires minimal ingredients. You can sample a variety of Kosambari salads in Maharashtrian, Kannada, or Tamil Cuisines. It is served in small quantities at the beginning of a traditional meal to build the appetite or as sattvic prasad in temples.

I am sharing a moong dal, cucumber, and peanut Kosambari recipe.

Ingredients Required

Dal: Use boiled yellow moong dal (mung bean).

Cucumber: You can use either English, Spanish, Chinese or Indian Cucumbers.

Peanut: Skinned, roasted peanuts are a good choice for this salad recipe.

Coconut: Use freshly grated coconut, not the pre-packaged, desiccated or frozen one.

Seasoning: Cumin Powder, Salt, Black Pepper Powder, Lemon Juice, Green Chilli

Tempering: Sesame Oil, Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaves

Other Ingredients: Fresh Corriander, Pomegranate, Caster Sugar

Two Ways To Make Kosambari

Method 1) The authentic Kosambari is made with soaked moong dal and not cooked. Soak moong dal for 5 to 6 hours and drain all the water. It becomes tender with a slight crunch to it. Use soaked dal for making the salad. Rinse soaked dal one more time with clean, running water to get rid of toxins. It becomes tender with a slight crunch to it. Use it for making salad.

Method 2) This is how I make Kosambari. Soak dal for 1 hour, and boil it in salted water till al dente. Drain all the water. Use boiled dal for making Kosambari.

How To Make

Step 1) Rinse and soak yellow moong dal for 1 hour in water.

Step 2) Cook it in salted water till al dente. Transfer to a colander and set aside to cool down.

Step 3) Combine diced cucumbers, crushed peanuts, grated coconut, boiled moong dal, green chilli, salt, sugar, and spices. Gently toss them.

Step 4) Heat oil in a small tadka pan. Add black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and once the seeds start popping, pour this tadka over the salad.

collage of cucumber Kosambari making steps

Step 5) Add lemon juice, pomegranate, and chopped fresh coriander. Toss Kosambari Salad gently. It is ready to serve.

aerial shot of cucumber kosambari in a white ceramic bowl

My Tried & True Tips

You can make Kosambari salad with soaked dal also. No need to cook it. After soaking for 5 to 6 hours, moong dal becomes tender and easy to digest. Add it to the salad without cooking, along with other ingredients.

Add a pinch of asafoetida to tempering if using uncooked, soaked moong dal. It aids in digestion.

Do not pressure cook the dal for salad. We need a crunch in it and not the overcooked, mushy one. I prefer boiling it in a saucepan, which takes only 10 minutes.

Allow the cooked pulses to cool down before adding them to the salad.

If you use Indian cucumbers, peel off the skin and discard the seeds.

For tempering the Kosambari salad, you can use either coconut oil, sesame oil, or groundnut oil.

A Kosambari salad has subtle and natural flavours. Hence, do not overload it with too many bold spices. Adding green chilli is also optional.

It is best to make Kosambari fresh and serve it immediately. It is not the kind of salad that remains crunchy for days. However, you can meal prep the pulses and cucumbers for the salad and store them in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.