My mother was the first one to introduce mixed vegetable salad in our home. Nutritional tips were rarely published in news papers and magazines in those days. After reading one such rare tip, she decided to serve us kids a nutritious health dish almost every day. She artistically cut carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes and just added a dash of salt to it. The new dish was really the center of attraction on the table.
The traditional version of salad is the kosumbari or kosumalli which has its place in grand feasts. Actually two types of kosumbaris salted and sweet versions are a must in feasts. Green gram dal and cucumber are used to prepare the salted version and Bengal gram dal and coconut are used for the sweet kosumbari which is sweetened with jaggery or sugar.
Caterers are becoming more and more innovative now a days. Sweet corn, pomegranate, sprouts of various grains and various other raw vegetables have found their place in the making of kosumbaris. Here is a recipe for the colourful carrot kosumbari.
INGREDIENTS:
Moong dal (Split green gram dal) - 1 cup
Carrot – 2
Fresh grated coconut – 2 tbsps
Cooking oil – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Green chillies chopped – 1
Salt – ½ tsp
Lime – 1
Fresh coriander leaves- few
Red chilly -1(broken)
METHOD:
1. Soak green gram dal in just enough water for half an hour.
2. When the dal is well soaked and soft, drain it well and keep aside.
3. Peel and grate the carrots and add it to the drained dal.
4. Heat oil and add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
5. When the mustard splutters add the cut green chilly and the broken red chilly.
6. Add the seasoning to the carrot and dal mixture.
7. Add salt, juice of 1 lime and shake well in a covered vessel.
8. Garnish with fresh coconut gratings and fresh coriander leaves.
Moong dal (Split green gram dal) - 1 cup
Carrot – 2
Fresh grated coconut – 2 tbsps
Cooking oil – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Green chillies chopped – 1
Salt – ½ tsp
Lime – 1
Fresh coriander leaves- few
Red chilly -1(broken)
METHOD:
1. Soak green gram dal in just enough water for half an hour.
2. When the dal is well soaked and soft, drain it well and keep aside.
3. Peel and grate the carrots and add it to the drained dal.
4. Heat oil and add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
5. When the mustard splutters add the cut green chilly and the broken red chilly.
6. Add the seasoning to the carrot and dal mixture.
7. Add salt, juice of 1 lime and shake well in a covered vessel.
8. Garnish with fresh coconut gratings and fresh coriander leaves.
This is also a good after school snack for children.
