Kachumber Salad (Indian Cucumber Salad)
A fresh and crunchy Kachumber salad made with cucumber, white cabbage, green apple and red onion, finished with lime, cumin and pomegranate molasses. Light, naturally oil-free and perfect as a cooling side dish for curries, dal and other warm, spiced dishes.
Equipment
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber
- 100 gr White cabbage
- 1 Green Apple
- 1 Small Red Onion
- 1 Handful Fresh Coriander
- 1 Lime
- 1 tsp Pomegranate molasses Optional
- ¼ tsp Ground Cumin
- To Taste Sea Salt
- To Taste Black Pepper
- 1 pinch Chilli powder
For Soaking the onion ( Optional)
- 120 ml water
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Wash the cabbage and cut it into small pieces. They don’t need to be perfectly uniform: leaving a little variation in size gives the salad a more interesting crunch.
- Cut the cucumber and green apple into thin julienne strips, keeping them roughly the same size.
- Thinly slice the red onion. For a milder flavour, place it in a small bowl with the water and vinegar and leave it to soak for about 30 minutes. Drain well and gently squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Finely chop the fresh coriander or parsley.
- Add the cabbage, cucumber, apple, onion and herbs to a bowl.
- Add the lime juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, salt, black pepper and chilli, if using.
- Mix everything well until the vegetables are lightly coated. Taste and adjust the lime, salt or spices if needed. Serve immediately for the best crunch.
Fresh coriander is the more traditional choice, but parsley works very well if you can’t find it.
When fresh pomegranate is in season, you can use the seeds instead of pomegranate molasses.
No oil is needed; the citrus, spices and pomegranate provide all the dressing this salad needs.
Notes
Storage Note
Kachumber salad is best enjoyed fresh, while the vegetables are still crisp. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 1–2 days. Keep in mind that the cucumber and salt will naturally release some liquid over time, so the salad may become softer.Make ahead Note
You can prepare the vegetables in advance, but add the lime and salt shortly before serving so the cucumber doesn’t release too much water.Original Content Note
All recipes published on INUMAMI are original and developed from my personal cooking experience. The recipe, written content, styling, and photographs featured in this post were created by me. No AI is used to create recipes. All food photographs are original and owned by INUMAMI.Substitutions Note
For ingredient swaps and alternative options, see the Ingredients section in the article above the recipe card, where I explain possible substitutions for the herbs, citrus, pomegranate, and other ingredients.Nutrition
Serving: 225grCalories: 119kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 21mgPotassium: 520mgFiber: 6gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 276IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 1mg