Tasty Salads - Really?

If you are a salad person, you are going to like these salads.

If you are NOT a salad person, you are going to LOVE these salads.

I am NOT a salad person. I never ate salads until I moved to the US. Even there, I stayed away from them for a couple of years. It was only when I joined work and would go out for business lunches and dinners that I started eating salads. I hated them, but I didn't want to look like an idiot . Exact same reason why I started drinking wine....but somehow that was not so hard to get used to :)

A month ago, Saru and I attended an Isha Yoga class. They talked about the importance of eating uncooked food and made us lunch with a spread of salads. Both Saru and I were shocked at how tasty the food was, so we promptly got the recipes. We have been making these salads for a month now and absolutely love them. They are so delicious that we cut our rice intake to half. It feels so good to eat these nutrient rich, colorful and tasty salads. Some of the ingredients and combinations may puzzle you, but I guarantee that they taste great.

1. Carrot Salad




Ingredients: 4 medium sized Grated carrot, 1 handful of sprouted green grams, 1 small finely chopped capsicum, 4 spoons of grated coconut, lime juice, salt, freshly ground pepper, coriander and curry leaves.
Method: Mix all of the above. Heat a spoon of oil and season it with mustard seeds (Tadka). and a pinch of grated ginger Add the seasoning to the vegetables and mix it very well.
Tip: Leave out coconut if it is too much trouble. Use half of the US style large capsicum.
Comment: My first reaction was - how will carrots and sprouts go together? Trust me, they do and taste awesome.

2. Beetroot Salad



Ingredients: 2 medium sized beetroots, 1 handful of soaked groundnuts, 1 small finely chopped capsicum, 4 spoons of grated coconut, lime juice, salt, freshly ground pepper, coriander and curry leaves.
Method: Mix all of the above. Heat a spoon of oil and season it with mustard seeds (Tadka) and a pinch of grated ginger. Add the seasoning to the vegetables and mix it very well.
Tip: Soak a handful of groundnuts for a few hours. Apparently soaked groundnuts are more healthy (and tasty too) . Leave out coconut if it is too much trouble. Use half of the US style large capsicum.
Comment: Betroot, lime juice and soaked groundnuts combination is too good. We were as surprised at the taste and you will be when you make this.

3. Cucumber Salad


Ingredients: 2 finely chopped cucumbers, 2 small chopped tomatoes, 1 small finely chopped capsicum, 4 spoons of grated coconut, lime juice, salt, freshly ground pepper, coriander and curry leaves.
Method: Mix all of the above. Heat a spoon of oil and season it with mustard seeds (Tadka) and a pinch of grated ginger. Add the seasoning to the vegetables and mix it very well.
Tip: I added some yogurt to make it like raita. Leave out coconut if it is too much trouble. Use half of the US style large capsicum.
Comment: Betroot, lime juice and soaked groundnuts combination is too good. We were as surprised at the taste and you will be when you make this.

4. Ash Gourd, Bottle Gourd Salad


Same procedure as cucumber salad, but leave out the capsicum.



6. Snake Gourd Salad



I know, you must be thinking - "how can raw snake gourd taste good!" It does and I challenge you to try it. Preparation is the same as that for cucumber salad.

7. Pumpkin Salad


Procedure is the same as that for carrot salad.

I use my food processor to grate the vegetables, but hand grating achieves a finer texture and is more tasty. For the recipes that require chopped vegetables, chop them as finely as you can. The more the vegetables get covered with salt, pepper and lime juice, the tastier the salad is. The good folks at Isha Yoga told us that it is easier to wake up early in the morning if you eat a lighter meal with salads. I find that mostly true.