Introducing Kakdi chi Koshimbir - an Indian-style cucumber and peanut salad bursting with unique flavors and textures! This refreshing and delicious salad is perfect for the summer, with its cool and tangy taste that is sure to satisfy your taste buds. Also called khamang kakdi, it is easy to make, versatile, and a popular choice for everyday meals, festive occasions, and also as fasting food. Follow this authentic Maharashtrian-style recipe for a delightful and nutritious salad that will be a hit at your next meal or gathering.
Kakdi chi koshimbir, also known as khamang kakdi, is a popular Indian-style spicy cucumber and peanut salad. In Marathi, the term "kakdi" translates to cucumber, and "koshimbir" refers to a salad that is often served as a side dish with Indian meals. This dish is known for its well-balanced flavors and texture.
The salad features a delightful combination of flavors, including the crunchiness of peanuts, tanginess from lemon juice, spiciness from chilies, and a hint of sweetness from sugar. It is a simple yet delicious Maharashtrian-style cucumber salad that is not only a part of everyday meals but also can be eaten during fasting like Ekadashi, Navratri, and Shivratri. It is also an integral part of festivals like Ram Navami and Ganesha Chaturthi. Other popular dishes made during Navratri are sabudana khichdi and fruit chaat. You can see my fasting food recipe collection here.
Koshimbir is not as popular as kachumber but is so delicious and easy to make. Kakdi chi koshimbir can be enjoyed as a refreshing side dish or a light meal. Whether it is for a festive celebration or a regular meal, this Indian cucumber peanut salad is sure to please your taste buds. Read on for ingredients, instructions, and tips to make healthy and delicious Indian cucumber peanut salad.
Jump to:
Why you will love this recipe?
- Well-balanced flavors: This salad offers a perfect balance of flavors with the crunchiness of peanuts, tanginess from lemon juice, spiciness from chilies, and a hint of sweetness from sugar, creating a harmonious blend of taste sensations.
- Refreshing and perfect for summer: The dish is made with fresh cucumbers and has a cool, refreshing taste, making it a perfect salad to enjoy during hot summer months or as a refreshing side dish to balance out spicy meals.
- Easy to make: This recipe is simple and straightforward, requiring basic ingredients that are readily available in most kitchens.
- Versatile: Kakdi chi koshimbir can be served as a side dish with Indian meals, or as a standalone salad or light meal. It can be customized with additional ingredients or adjusted to suit individual taste preferences.
- Nutritious: The dish contains wholesome ingredients such as cucumbers and peanuts, which are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Ingredients
Cucumbers: Small and tender cucumbers work best with this salad, for example, Persian cucumbers.
Peanuts: We need roasted peanuts for this salad.
Tempering: The salad is seasoned with a tempering (tadka) made using cumin seeds and curry leaves.
Other ingredients: Green chili, cilantro, and lemon juice (or lime juice). Deseed the green chilies to reduce the spice level. We also add a bit of sugar to balance all the flavors.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Lightly crush the peanuts using a mortar and pestle. Set them aside.
Step 2: Peel the cucumber and dice them into small pieces. Transfer into a bowl.
Step 3: To make the tempering, heat oil in a small pan and add cumin seeds. Once they sizzle, add curry leaves and turn off the heat. Let it cool down slightly. Add the tempering to the chopped cucumber.
Step 4: Next, add the crushed peanuts, green chili, sugar, salt, cilantro, and lemon juice. Mix well.
Spicy, tangy, and mildly sweet cucumber peanut salad is ready to be served.
Useful tips
It is important to coarsely pound the peanuts to retain their crunch. Powdered peanuts will make the salad soggy and ruin the texture. You can use a food processor instead of a mortar and pestle but take care not to overprocess them. It's best to use the pulse feature of the food processor.
Use fresh and tender cucumber with fewer seeds. Garden cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or mini cucumbers work really well.
Peeling the skin of cucumbers is optional and can be skipped.
You can make this salad nut-free by replacing peanuts with roasted pumpkin seeds.
This salad is best served fresh or within one day. If you are planning to make it ahead, do not add salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Keep everything else ready and store it in the refrigerator. Add salt, sugar, and lemon juice just before serving.
Lemon and lime are usually interchangeable in Indian cuisine. You can use either one of them in this salad.
More salad recipes
- Indian banana salad (Balehannina rasayana).
- Cabbage salad (an Indian twist on the green goddess salad).
- Carrot kosambari.
- Grilled paneer salad.
- Curried potato salad.
FAQs
It is typically served as a side dish along with lunch. You can also serve it as an appetizer or enjoy it as a light meal.
Any leftover salad can be stored for up to one day in the refrigerator. If you are planning to make it ahead, do not add sugar, salt, and lemon juice. This will prevent it from becoming watery.
Yes. You can enjoy koshimbir during fasting like Ekadashi, Navaratri, and Mahashivrati. Make sure you use senda namak to make it for fasting.
If you liked this recipe, please don't forget to give a 5-star rating and leave a comment below.
Recipe card
Cucumber Peanut Salad (Kakdi Chi Koshimbir)
Ingredients
- 3 cucumbers peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 green chili deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- ½ lemon
For tempering (tadka):
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- Lightly crush the peanuts using a mortar and pestle. Set them aside.
- Peel the cucumber and dice them into small pieces. Transfer into a bowl.
- To make the tempering, heat oil in a small pan and add cumin seeds. Once they sizzle, add curry leaves and turn off the heat. Let it cool down slightly.
- Add the tempering to the cucumber.
- Next, add the crushed peanuts, green chili, sugar, salt, cilantro, and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Serve immediately or within one day.
Glenda says
I've never cooked curry leaves before. The flavor!!! I love the spiciness and brightness in this gorgeous salad.
Sue says
Ok I really must try this, as I love peanuts and cucumbers - I've never seen them used together before! 2 questions: would it work just as well to chop the peanuts with a knife? And, any substitutions for the green chili?
Shilpa says
Hi Sue,
Absolutely, you can roughly chop the roasted peanuts and use them for the salad. Green chili can be substituted with jalapeno peppers, OR you can totally skip the chilies and the salad will still be super delicious.
Healing Tomato says
We love koshimber just as much as other Indian cucumber salads. Your salad was not only easy to make, it was also delicious. We served it as part of our usual Gujrati thali which was a great idea. It fit right in with the dal, veggies and roti.
Anne says
I eat cucumber salads frequently, but I never thought to combine them with peanuts! It is so tasty and gives them a great crunch. I'll be making this one again soon.
Jennifer says
This is an amazing salad! The peanuts in it add such a lovely crunch. So easy to make, too!