This Indian Cucumber Salad, or Indian Koshimbir, is perfect for summer and requires almost no cooking. A refreshing combination of cucumbers and peanuts with a few additional spices complete this perfect summer salad!
What Is Indian Cucumber Salad?
Now this Indian Cucumber Salad, or Kakadi chi Koshimbir, you won’t get outside of an Indian home–well, unless you make it, then you could have it in your home!
This Indian Cucumber Salad is one of my favorite salads. Cucumber, cilantro, peanuts, a few seasonings, and 10 minutes later you’re ready to chow down. This dish is typically Maharashtrian, and it is something that I very much look forward to at mealtimes.
This Indian Cucumber Salad is the perfect dish for hot summer days where you want something simple and fresh. It’s full of fresh, bright flavors that won’t weigh you down or leave you feeling icky. Not to mention it’s gluten free, vegetarian and vegan friendly!
The only thing that gets cooked at all is the dressing with hot oil and mustard seeds (or cumin seeds). If you want to mix up a few things, you could try mixing it with some Matki Ussal as the two go really well together.
This dish makes a great appetizer, a side to a full meal or even a quick lunch when you need something in a hurry. As you’ve probably noticed, I’m a big fan of quick and simple when it comes to cooking.
How to Make Indian Cucumber Salad
- Chop up the cucumbers, cilantro, and peanuts into a very fine dice. I use my trusty Kuhn Rikon pull chop which I love and it works on all of these equally well.
- Place into a bowl and season with salt and sugar.
- In the smallest little heat proof bowl you have, heat the oil until it is hot and shimmering.
- Place the mustard and/or cumin seeds and allow them to sputter like popcorn about 30 seconds.
- Add in the turmeric and stir quickly.
- Pour this hot, flavored oil over the cucumbers and mix well.
- Squeeze lemon juice and mix once again and serve.
Tips and Tricks for Making Indian Cucumber Salad
- This salad tastes great the first day but it is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING the next day!
- You can sub 1/4 cup of lemon juice instead of yogurt if you prefer. This is good if you’re planning to use it for a picnic or leave it out with no refrigeration for hours.
- Use this slap chopper for smashing up the peanuts.
- I like to use Red Spanish peanuts but if you can’t find those, just use regular roasted peanuts.
- If you’re not sure how to do the hot oil technique watch this video to see how I did it for the cabbage slaw.
Like Cucumber? Here Are Some More Great Dishes!
- This Sichuan Smashed Cucumber Salad borrows from a Xi’an sauce I once had. Cucumbers, garlic, and a secret chili ingredient was what I used to recreate this crisp, cool, tangy, spicy marvel!
- This Tabouli Recipe with Hemp Hearts uses hemp hearts instead of bulgur for a delicious, vegetarian keto side dish. It’s also has cucumber, cherry tomatoes, green onions and some seasonings making this a delightfully low carb dish.
- This easy, refreshing Korean Cucumber Salad is a wonderful vegan, keto Korean cucumber side dish that’s ready to eat within 15 minutes. If you’re looking for a delicious, spicy pickle recipe, this is the one.
This Indian Cucumber Salad is super simple, but don’t let that lead you to believe that it isn’t super delicious. Now go try it for yourself and find out! Let me know if you enjoyed it in the comments!
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Ingredients
- 2 (2 ) cucumbers, peeled
- 1/4 cup (4 g) Cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) spanish roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon ) Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Sugar, Optional
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Black Mustard Seeds, or sub cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Turmeric
- 1 (1 ) Lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Chop up the cucumbers, cilantro, and peanuts into a very fine dice. I use my trusty Kuhn Rikon pull chop which I love and it works on all of these equally well.
- Place into a bowl and season with salt and sugar.
- In the smallest little heat proof bowl you have, heat the oil until it is hot and shimmering.
- Place the mustard and/or cumin seeds and allow them to sputter like popcorn about 30 seconds.
- Add in the turmeric and stir quickly.
- Pour this hot, flavored oil over the cucumbers and mix well.
- Squeeze lemon juice and mix once again and serve.
- This salad tastes great the first day but it is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING the next day!
- You can sub 1/4 cup of lemon juice instead of yogurt if you prefer. This is good if you’re planning to use it for a picnic or leave it out with no refrigeration for hours.
- Use this slap chopper for smashing up the peanuts.
- I like to use Red Spanish peanuts but if you can’t find those, just use regular roasted peanuts.
- If you’re not sure how to do the hot oil technique watch this video to see how I did it for the cabbage slaw.
JoAnn
Question: I want to make this for a potluck dinner. Can the salad be made ahead or does it need to be assembled right before serving? Thanks!
URVASHI PITRE
I find it tastes a lot better after it’s allowed to marinate for a few hours
JoAnn
Thank you so much!!!
Therese Rudolph
I loved this as did my son and his wife. I too added the tomato and didn’t peel the “English” cucumber. It was so good. After we ate it all I remembered that I forgot the peanuts!!!! They were sitting right there and didn’t say a word…the peanuts that is.. The kids were ready to run to the store here and now for more ingredients for another.
URVASHI PITRE
Those dang peanuts! they should have said something! If you liked it without them, wait until you try it with the peanuts.
Malu
Do I see tomatoes on the picture? They are not mentioned on the ingredient list. Making this today!
URVASHI PITRE
Yes I added some for color but I also add them in the recipe from time to one. It’s excellent with tomatoes as well for a change
Karl_in_Chicago
It looks like the cucumbers are peeled? Doesn’t say in the recipe so figured I’d ask. Looks good, thanks for sharing.
URVASHI PITRE
Oh you know, you’re right, I do peel them. Let me put that in the recipe.
Karly
THis looks SO good! Light, fresh and full of flavor for all of the summer BBQs. Gotta try!
URVASHI PITRE
I’m telling you it’s SO GOOD! I honestly feel like I could eat the whole bowl by myself.
Fussbudget Foodie
Damn, wish I had seen this. This could have saved the day after Insomehow screwed up my 4th of July keto slaw.
Timing is everything.
Did you use lemon juice for the acid? No vinegar?
URVASHI PITRE
I used lemon juice. Sometimes I use yogurt for a change.
FussbudgetFoodie
Could you share what the “few seasonings” are that you like?
URVASHI PITRE
Just added the recipe on to the same post.