In Marathi, Kakdi means “cucumber” and Koshimbir means “salad.” And when combined, Kakdi Koshimbir (Khamang Kakdi) literally translates to a cool cucumber salad. This is popular in Maharashtrian and Gujarati households in India.This salad is often served during weddings, auspicious ceremonies and festivities. For this easy salad, cucumber is diced and tossed with peanuts, green chillies, cilantro, lemon juice in a sizzling tempering called ”tadka”. It’s lightly spiced and takes only 15 minutes to make with just a few pantry ingredients. Cucumbers have a high water content and a mild, refreshing flavor. In hot weather, they can help with dehydration and provide a cooling effect to the body. This Indian cucumber salad is light but filling, and it works well as a snack, salad or side dish. Credits for this detailed recipe go to my dear friend Shweta, who has been so kind to share her Maharashtrain recipes with me. Do check out her Misal Pav and Ukadiche Modak recipe too.
Watch How to Make Kakdi Koshimbir (Spicy Indian Cucumber Salad)
Recipe Ingredients
This salad is a delicious mixture of a few ingredients easily available at home. However, cucumber and peanuts are the stars of this dish.
Cucumber: You can use any variety of cucumbers, like Indian or English, but Persian cucumbers work best for this recipe, in my opinion. Roasted peanuts: This adds crunch to the salad. You can either use store-bought, or you can roast and crush/pulse the peanuts yourself. Green chili: You can use any chili/ pepper of your choice. I used Indian green chili or bird eye chili for this recipe. Cilantro: I used finely chopped fresh cilantro. This adds an intense flavor to the salad. Curry leaves: Give character to this salad. If you can, use fresh ones. Lime Juice: It adds a zing to the salad and is an excellent source of vitamin C. Spices: Cumin seeds and hing both add flavor to the tempering.
How to Make
This Indian cucumber salad is so quick to make, it only takes 15 minutes from start to finish in 3 simple steps: Step 1: Prep the vegetablesPeel and cut the cucumber into small pieces. Also slit and dice the green chili peppers. Step 2: Crush the peanuts I have shown below dicing the peanuts on a cutting board. You can crush them in a mortar pestle or put them in a Ziploc and crush them using a rolling pin. You can also use a spice grinder to crush them coarsely. I like to leave them coarse and not completely ground. That way, they add a perfect crunch to the salad. Step 2: Make the temperingIn a small pan, heat ghee. Then add asafoetida, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and chopped green chilies. Let it sizzle, remove from the heat. Step 3: Ready to serveDrizzle the prepared tempering over the salad. Add add salt, sugar, peanuts, cilantro and lemon juice. Toss well. Kakdi Koshimbir is ready to enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
Kakdi Koshimbir tastes best when served chilled. It is perfect on its own. It pairs well with everyday meals especially as a side with Dal and Rice. Serve as an accompaniment with any Indian curry and roti. It is a great option if you are looking for low-carb or Keto Indian recipes. It is also a super hit for potlucks and barbeques.
Pro-Tips
Cucumbers: Use mini Persian cucumbers because they are seedless and have a low water content compared to other varieties. Peel or not: If you like cucumber with peels, you can skip the peeling step or even partially peel it. Peanuts: For an amazing nutty flavor and crunchy texture, roast and coarsely grind the peanuts. Seasoning: To avoid the cucumbers releasing too much water, season with salt and sugar right before serving.
Substitutions
If you are Vegan, you can use any plant-based oil of your choice instead of ghee. If you are allergic to peanuts, you can substitute these with cashews, walnuts, or any other nut you choose. To make it nut-free, top the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc. Although wheat flour is commonly used in powdered hing/asafoetida, gluten-free versions are also available. In this salad, I have used Indian green chili, but you may use whatever hot chili you have available, such as Thai chili, jalapeno, serrano, etc. For a non-spicy cucumber salad that both kids and adults can appreciate, eliminate the green chili.
Variations
Throw in some dried cranberries or pomegranate instead of sugar. They will not only enhance the flavor but also add color. Add freshly grated coconut and take this salad to the next level. Carrot Koshimbir – Use grated carrots instead of cucumber. Beetroot Koshimbir – Beetroot can be grated or chopped and substituted with cucumber.
Enjoy this crunchy Kakdi Koshimbir (Indian cucumber salad) which requires no special ingredients or dressing and takes only a few minutes to prepare. The salad has a lovely aroma – thanks to a traditional tempering of asafoetida (hing), cumin seeds, curry leaves, and green chillies. Here are more salad recipes you will love:
Kachumber (Onion, tomato, cucumber salad) Masala Onion Salad Sprouts Salad Kala Chana Salad
