Cucumber Peanut Salad (Kakdi Chi Koshimbir)

About this recipe

Kakdi chi koshimbir or khamang kakdi is an Indian-style spicy cucumber and peanut salad. Kakadi literally translates to cucumber and koshimbir is a salad that is usually served as a side dish with Indian meals. Kakdichi koshimbir has the right balance of flavors and perfect texture. The crunch from the peanuts, the tang from the lemon, and the heat from the chilies are wrapped together with the sweetness from the sugar.

Koshimbir is not as popular as kachumber but is so delicious and easy to make. It is very easy to make and is a part of not just everyday meals, but also festivals and celebrations. This simple and refreshing Maharashtrian-style cucumber salad can be eaten during fasting like Ekadashi, Navratri, and Shivratri. It is also an integral part of festivals like Ram Navami and Ganesha Chaturthi.

Serve this refreshing and healthy dish as a side or enjoy it as a light meal. Read on for ingredients, instructions, and tips to make healthy and delicious Indian cucumber peanut salad.

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

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 chopped cucumber.

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 add them 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

1. Indian banana salad (Balehannina rasayana).
2. Cabbage salad (an Indian twist on the green goddess salad).
3. Carrot kosambari.
4. Grilled paneer salad.

FAQs

Bonus

This Indian cucumber peanut salad is:
- unique and delicious with a burst of flavors and textures,
- easy to make,
- refreshing and perfect for the summer.

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)

Kakdi koshimir or khamang kakdi is a Maharashtrian-style salad made using cucumber and peanuts as the main ingredients. It is very easy to make and is vegan and gluten-free. This light and refreshing cucumber salad have a burst of flavors - spicy, tangy, and mildly sweet. This salad is perfect as a side dish with main meals and can also be eaten during fasting.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Author: Shilpa

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

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.

Notes

See the tips section above for useful tips to make cucumber peanut salad.

Nutrition Facts

Cucumber Peanut Salad (Kakdi Chi Koshimbir)

Amount per Serving

Calories

104

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

7

g

11

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Cholesterol

 

6

mg

2

%

Sodium

 

372

mg

16

%

Potassium

 

303

mg

9

%

Carbohydrates

 

8

g

3

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

3

g

3

%

Protein

 

4

g

8

%

Vitamin A

 

150

IU

3

%

Vitamin C

 

23

mg

28

%

Calcium

 

41

mg

4

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.