Fresh Salads

[Simon Majumdar]

I am planning to Tandoor some Quail and Lamb cutlets tonight and want to serve it with a fresh ( slightly spicy) salad that will not over power the flavours of the meat.

I am thinking a simple dish of tomatoes, red onion, and corriander, but would like something a bit different.

Any thoughts/help appreciated

S

[Suvir Saran]

You can grate some carrots. Take a very tiny amount of canola oil. In that fry some mustard seeds; curry leaves and some urad and chana daals. Fry till the seeds splatter, then add the carrots to the pan and fry for at the most 5 minutes. Remove from flame.

Bring to room temperature and then chill and serve.

I have also often served tandoori meats with a fresh garden salad. What I do is to add some crushed black peppercorn, a tiny amount of red chili powder, some toasted cumin and maybe a very tiny pinch of garam masala into t he olive oil-vinegar mix. With the greens I toss some sliced and chilled red onions that had been soaked in ice water with lemon juice. Often I add raspberries to this salad. It goes great with tandoori foods. Especially grilled chicken kababs and also fresh seekh kababs. If you can find fresh fennel you can slice it thin and add into the melange of leaves. They work very well.

A fresh Kachumbar always works very well. Onions, tomatoes, cilantro with some fresh hot peppers. I slice t he onions very thin, soak them in ice water with some lemon juice. When they are nice and crisp, I drain and add them to the tomatoes and toss with finely chopped cilantro. Cayenne is all I add with lemon or limejuice to these.

Avocado salad is also a great addition to Tandoori meals. I cut the avocado into half. Seed it. I take a knife and draw squares into the avocado flesh going to the base of the cover. Then with a spoon I lift these pieces and place into a bowl. In the bowl I toss pre-prepared chunks of red onion, tomato chunks, capsicum chunks (bell peppers), cilantro leaves and lemon juice. A little toasted cumin powder, some green chili chutney and salt are great additions. It is like a Chunky Guacamole. You can fill this back into the half shells and serve chilled.

I have often also served this somewhat differently by cutting the avocado into thick wedges and then topping the wedges with a Kachumbar salad. That works very well too.

A thick very chunky raita with lots of dried crushed mint, some fresh cilantro and thick chunks of tomatoes and lots of sliced onions is great. Mint is the trick here. Do not beat the yogurt too much. You want a very thick coating of yogurt around the onions and tomatoes. I use very little yogurt. Just enough to cover the salad. Add salt and freshly ground black peppercorn, a pinch of toasted cumin and some cayenne. It is amazing if you have it nicely chilled. The mint balances perfectly with the acid of the tomato and the bite of the red-onions.

[Simon Majumdar]

These all sound wonderful

I am so glad you are back and now I know why

Dhonno bad ( sp?)

S

[Suvir Saran]

Shukriya (Thanks!) Simon.

Your spelling of Dhanyawad was I guess in Bengali and does seem right. I used the Urdu word Shukriya to say the same to you.

Keep us posted on your dinner.

[vivin]

We sometimes use watered down oily version of fresh made mint/cilantro chutney as dressing on mixed greens. Gives it the slight spice that you are looking for. Also, use more mint than cilantro as it goes well with grilled meats (lamb especially).

Vivin.

[Simon Majumdar]

This is what I did in the end. ( I e-mailed this to a Russian friend in Canada DON'T ASK!, so thought it might be useful )

Thanks to Suvir for the tip about soaking the onions. It helped take out a lot of the bitterness and soften them up. It is also nice to use a term like "soaking my onions" without fear of arrest!

Tandoori Lamb Chops With an onion and Cucumber Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 Lamb chops Per person ( do not trim off fat )

MARINADE

1 large tub yoghurt

1 large peice of fresh ginger ( chopped )

2 Large cloves of Garlic ( chopped )

1 teaspoon of Fennel Seeds

1 teaspoon of Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Saffron ( optional )

1 teaspoon Chilli powder

1 teaspoon Cinammon

Juice of one lemon

Mix all of these together in a big bowl with the lamb chops. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least two hours but better over night.

SALAD

4 tomatoes

1/2 Cucumber ( diced )

1 piece Ginger ( in thin strips about 1 inch long )

3 Red Onions ( pre-soaked in Ice water with lemon to take out the bitterness )

1 red chillie - with seeds still in ( chopped )

1 Bunch of Corriander(Cilantro) chopped

1 spring Mint ( chopped )

Mix all of these in a bowl

DRESSING

4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

juice of two lemons ( or better, Limes )

1 chopped red chillie

I clove garlic ( chopped )

1 small piece ginger ( chopped )

Heat the oil and add the chilli, garlic and spices and cook until they begin to pop and let their flavour out

Pour the flavoured oil into a bowl and allow to cool a little

Add the lime juice and some salt and pepper and whisk until it combines.

pour this over the salad and cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. The dressing makes the onions nice and soft.

When you are ready, pre heat the grill. Please the lamb chops on the grill pan, draining off much of the marinade ( which will burn if you do not ) cook the lamb for about 7 mins each side ( depending on how you like it cooked ) until the coating gets a crunchy texture ( without burning )

Serve with the salad and also a classical indian accompaniment of raita ( yoghurt with chopped cucumber and mint )

[Suvir Saran]

Phal Kee Chaat (Spiced Fruit Salad)

Chaat is hindi for lick. The foods that have this word in them are those dishes that make ones mouth water. It is true once you have had them, there can never ever be too big a portion or too much of Chaat. This is a very easy to prepare, light, refreshing, palate cleansing appetizer for the summers. A favorite found in homes and with street side Chaat vendors alike. Use any and all fresh seasonal fruits in this recipe. Make it yours by choosing your favorite fruits.

1/2 ripe pineapple, cored and cut into small bite sized pieces

1 banana, sliced

20 small seedless grapes

1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced into bite sized pieces

1 orange, peeled, sectioned and outer membrane removed

2 small green chilies, finely chopped

8 walnuts, toasted and salted

4 tbsp. Indian raisins or golden raisins

2 tsp. chaat masala

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1 tbsp. sugar

3 tbsp. fresh lime juice

freshly crushed black pepper, to taste

salt to taste

mint leaves for garnish

1 tbsp. bhunaa zeera (ground, dry roasted whole cumin seeds), optional

In a salad bowl, combine the fresh fruit, green chilies, raisins and the nuts.

Sprinkle evenly, the chaat masala, sugar, garam masala and black pepper. Add the lime juice and stir. Chill till ready to serve. The salad tastes better when really chilled well. A couple of hours of refrigeration are best.

Sprinkle salt to taste just before serving into the individual plates. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. You may also sprinkle some freshly ground, dry roasted cumin seeds at this time.