Achari Aloo Salad ( Indian Potato Salad)

Last week I happened to find some really good freshly harvested baby potatoes at the local vegetable market. Coincidentally I had been craving for some Kashmiri dum aloo for sometime. So, it was the first dish that I cooked up with the lot. The next dish to go on the table was my favorite fish head curry with mustard paste. And I was still left with a sizable lot !

That is when I realized that I havn't had a decent salad bowl for almost a week. Eeeks !! I needed to do something about my eating resolutions. It has been just a month into the new year and I am already lagging behind. A potato salad with some protein and veggies seemed like the right choice for the next day's lunch . A few minutes of browsing threw up quite a few gems like the Mediterranean potato salad, an English potato salad and even a Russian one among all. Sadly I couldn't really find anything like an Indian version.

That was it ! I decided to make one on my own. But what flavour could encompass the entire width and breadth of a country that is better known for it's diversity ? Of course, the humble 'achar' or pickle. Though pickles from various regions make use of different ingredients, there are a few basic ingredients that are quite common. And using these very ingredients that are common to every Indian kitchen, I mustered up a yummy and filling bowl (actually two bowls) of potato salad !

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups of boiled baby potatoes
• 1 cup boiled kidney beans (rajma)
• 1 cup of chopped veggies (tomato and cucumber)
• 1 small red onion (chopped into thin long pieces, optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (use more if required)
• 1 tsp mustard oil
• 1/6 tsp mustard powder
• a pinch of fennel powder
• a pinch of roasted fenugreek powder
• 1/4 tso chili powder ( use a little hot unless you like it really spicy )
• salt to taste
• fresh cilantro for garnishing
• a few drops of pickle oil ( optional )

Preparation - Peel the potatoes and cut each one into two halves.

Take all the ingredients (except salt) in a big mixing bowl. Toss them together . And let it sit for 15-20 mins for the flavours to come together. Season with the salt and garnish with chopped cilantro .

Serve at room temperature.

Note - If you do not want to use the powdered spices, go directly for the pickle oil which has already imbibed all these spices.

Daliya Salsa Salad

Day 3 !! Still sticking to the Daliya challenge. So, made this interesting salad for lunch. With boiled daliya and loads of veggies, it becomes a tasty one-pot meal that is easy to prepare and refreshingly light.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup daliya
• 1-2 tomatoes
• 1 small cucumber
• 1/4 cup shredded lettuce
• 1-2 green chilis
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp chopped mint 
• 1/2 tsp EVOO
• 2 pinch ground pepper
• salt to taste

Preparation - Dry roast the daliya or cracked wheat till it gives off a sweet smell.

Chop all the vegetables and chilis into small bits.

Cooking - Cook the daliya with 1 1/2 cup water, turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.

Transfer it to a mixing bowl. Allow to cool down completely. Throw in the chopped veggies and the rest of the ingredients. Toss well.

Serve immediately.

Black Garbanzo Beans Salad ( Kala Channa Salad)

It is Monday and the time to make u for those weekend indulgences. At least, that is the case with me and my family. After two days of eating junk food, high calorie restaurant stuff, pizza or even numerous sweets, we settle for a simple rice and dalma fare on Mondays. Apart from the loads of vegetables that goes into the dalma, we also opt for some variety of stir fried vegetables and a humongous amount of salad. It not only provides a much needed respite to the digestive system but also makes one feel happy about eating healthy.

Kala channa is yet another variety of Garbanzo beans that is very popular in India. This cholesterol free legume is rich in fiber, Manganese, Tryptophan, Fiber, Folate, and Molybdenum and provide essential nutrients like Phosphorus, Iron, Copper and Protein . It helps in digestion, lowers homocysteine levels,  strengthen the heart muscles, benefits women suffering from hot flashes and reduces the chances of gastric ulcers.

This is a simple salad that I prepared with boiled kala channa and lots of veggies . Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

• 3/4 cup black garbanzo beans/kala channa
• 1 cucumber ( peeled and finely sliced )
• 1 medium sized tomato ( finely sliced )
• 1 medium onion ( finely sliced )
• carrots/peppers/lettuce (optional)
• 2-3 green chilis ( finely chopped )
• 1/4 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the kala channa overnight or for 8 hours. Wash thoroughly and cook with 1 cup water, salt and turmeric for 3-4 whistles. Keep aside for steam to escape. Drain off excess water.

Take all the ingredients (listed above) in a mixing bowl. Add salt as per taste. Mix well.

Serve immediately or chill for 10-15 mind before serving.

Apple, Celery and Leeks Salad

Time for yet another salad recipe!! I made this as a 4 o'clock fix for myself last week. Had a light lunch at 1 o' clock and hence was feeling quite hungry. But I realized that I had forgotten to soak any pulses for making a 'sundal'. So opted for an easy salad with whatever I found in the fridge. Turned out to a quite filling.

Made an Indian-style dressing for this one with fresh yogurt, lime juice, anardana powder, amchur, red chilli powder and salt. The sweetness of the apples complimented the tang provided by the dressing. And the celery and leeks gave it quite a chewy texture  (all that chomping down actually helps to burn more calories). Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup diced apples (skin left on)
• 1/3 cup diced potatoes (boiled)
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber (peeled)
• 1-2 stalk of celery ( white and light green parts only )
• 1-2 stalks of leeks (white and light green parts only )
• 3 tsp thick yogurt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp anardana powder (dried pomegranate powder)
• 2 pinch amchur powder (dried mango powder)
• a pinch of red chilli powder (or to taste)
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and clean the leeks and celery with sufficient water else the sand particles present in them will make the salad inedible. Chop off the roots.

Cut into small bite sized pieces.

Take the yogurt, lime juice, anardana powder, amchur, red chilli powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and the salad dressing is ready.

Add the rest of the ingredients and coat them with the salad dressing. Pop into the fridge for 5-10 mins.

Serve chilled.

Kachumbar

Preparation Time Required: 10-12 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-30 rupees

Ingredients:  Medium sized cucumber ( 1 tsp ), medium sized tomato ( 1 no.), large onion ( 1 no. ), juice of 1 lemon, green chilli ( 3-4 nos), finely chopped mint leaves ( 1 tbs), roasted cumin chilli powder ( 1/3 tsp ), salt ( to taste).

Preparation: Finely chop all the vegetables. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, cumin chilli powder, salt and mint leaves.

Allow to stand for 30 mins. Garnish and serve with lunch/dinner.

One can use finely chopped ginger/garlic/coriander/parsley instead of mint leaves for a variation in the flavour. Also, the quantity of lime juice can be varied as per ones' taste.