Indian Salads

This is not the kind of salad we are used to in the West. No greens involved, but instead raw onion, cucumbers, and thinly sliced tomatoes. We drench these components with fresh lemon juice, sprinkle salt on them, along with Kala Namak or black salt, and a tiny bit of red chile powder or cayenne. You can add some chaat masala if you have it. There. Done.

What's the purpose? To add tart and crunch to every single bite. So, we eat a mouthful of food and then take a bite of salad along with it. If you don't love raw onions, not to worry. Sub with sliced daikon, more cucumbers, red radishes, or any other crunchy veggie you can think of. I cannot eat my meal without a salad like this, and have been known to have dinner at my Indian friends' houses and beg to make one if they don't already have one on the side.

If you truly want to live dangerously, keep a fresh green Thai chile on the side to also bite into as you are eating. There is nothing like it..but please don't try it if you are not into spicy foods. There's a recipe for my favorite salad at the end of this post.