KOSAMBARI

     Kosambari or Koshambari is an authentic South Indian Salad prepared with Grams & Vegetables and then tempered with mild spices.  The Beans/Lentils/Pulses generally used in a Kosambari are Bengal Gram Dhal/Yellow Moong Dhal/Green Gram.  Even sprouted Green Grams can be used to prepare Kosambari. The uniqueness of this dish is the addition of fresh vegetables like Cucumber, Carrot/Beetroot, grated Coconut and mild seasonings. A mild note of tanginess from Lemon makes Kosambari a tasty & flavourful add on.   In some regions, this Salad is called as Kosumalli.  Maybe the word 'Kosambari' is adapted from Marathi, where Salads are called as 'Koshimbir'.
     Kosambari is one dish served during Rama Navami along with Panagam and Neer Mor(Spiced Buttermilk), which falls during Summer.  Kosambari is prepared during special occasions and festivals in South India. This is an absolutely light, refreshing and nutritious Salad which can be eaten as an Evening Snack or served as one dish in a full course lunch meal.
     Kosambari is basically a Salad with a typical South Indian touch. A quick fix and easy to make salad recipe which can be incorporated within no time.  What you need is a bit of soaking time depending upon the Lentil used in the recipe. If you are preparing Kosambari with sprouted Green Gram then you have to pre-plan it earlier.  Sprouting Green Grams might take at least 2-3 days depending on the weather conditions.
      I usually use Yellow Moong Dhal/Sprouted Green Gram while making Kosambari and I love to add Cucumber and Carrots in it.  Some recipes call for adding Beetroots too.  Usually, these vegetables are grated and then added along with Soaked Moong Dhal tempered with mild spices.  But I feel that grating the vegetables tend to ooze out water in this Salad Recipe.  So the best way to retain the crunchy texture of the Salad is by finely chopping the Vegetables and adding it to the Dhals just before serving.

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Cuisine - Karnataka, South India
Recipe Type - Salad
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3-4
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes.
Soaking Time - 1 Hour.
Cooking Time - 5 Minutes.

HOW TO MAKE KOSAMBARI/KOSHAMBARI

KOSAMBARI

INGREDIENTS :

For Kosambari:

Yellow Moong Dhal - 1/2 Cup
Cucumber - 1/4 Cup
Carrot - 1/4 Cup
Green Chillies - 2 Nos.
Coconut - 2-3 Tbspn
Coriander Leaves - few
Lemon Juice - 1 Tspn
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - a Pinch

For Tempering:

Oil - 2 Tspn
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tspn
Asafoetida - a Pinch
Curry Leaves - a Sprig

METHOD:

• Clean, Wash & Soak Yellow Moong Dhal in ample of water for about 1 Hour.
• Alternatively, you can soak the Dhal in hot water for about 20-30 Minutes.
• Once soaked, drain and discard the water.
• Clean, Peel and finely chop the Carrots and keep it aside.
• Clean and finely chop the Cucumber, Green Chillies, Coriander Leaves and keep it aside.
• Meanwhile, heat Oil in a Pan, splutter Mustard Seeds & Curry Leaves on a very low flame.
• Immediately add Asafoetida Powder and give a quick stir.
• Switch off the flame and pour the tempering over to the soaked Yellow Moong Dhal.
• Top it up with finely chopped Carrots & Cucumber.
• Add freshly grated Coconut along with finely chopped Green Chillies & Coriander Leaves.
• Add a dash of Salt and a Pinch of Sugar to the Kosambari.
• Squeeze and drizzle the Lemon Juice.
• Gently mix all the ingredients.
• Serve Kosambari as a Naivedhyam or as an Evening Snack or just add it on as one dish in a Lunch Menu.

NOTES :

• Soak the Yellow Moong Dhal well before adding it into the Kosambari.
• Use clean(boiled & cooled/filtered) water while soaking the Dhal.
• Once soaked the Dhal should be soft.
• Can substitute Yellow Moong Dhal with Bengal Gram Dhal/Chana or Sprouted Green Gram Dhal.
• Adjust the soaking time accordingly.
• For 'HOW TO COOK BEANS, LENTILS & PULSES', Click here...
• Soaking and sprouting certain Beans/Lentils enables easy digestion and also it can be eaten raw.
• I have added finely chopped Cucumber & Carrots in this recipe.
• Can prepare the same dish with just one Vegetable.  Some even add Beetroots, Pomegranate Seeds etc., in Kosambari.
• I have finely chopped the Vegetables. This helps to yield a crunchy texture to the Salad.
• In my experience, Kosambari prepared with grated vegetables tended to ooze out excess water making the Salad Soggy & Watery.
• Adjust the amount of Lemon Juice to suit your taste preference.
• Adding Sugar is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of the dish.