Udupi Kosambari / Lentil Cucumber Salad / Hesaru Bele Koshambari (Vegan & Gluten free)

a no cook salad from Udupi cuisine using lentils and cucumber

Kosambari or Koshambari !!!

This is a raw salad made of pulses (split legumes) served as it is or sometime seasoned with fresh curry leaves and mustard seeds. Kosambari is a popular dish all over the state of Karnataka mainly made during most festivals, marriages and special occasions etc. The traditional fresh kosambari is a mix of the lentils, vegetables (most time cucumber is picked), coconut and few drops of lemon juice to give a zing to the salad. This combination of lovely light green, yellow colors looks very attractive, appealing and tempting to eat. The kosambari salad is usually a part of the full course meal in authentic Udupi cuisine. 

Udupi cuisine in details :

Udupi Cuisines is one of the renowned cuisines of Southern part of India. It takes its name from the city, Udupi in the state of Karnataka. This is a land of temples and has many beautiful temples including Krishna Mutt. Udupi cuisine is similar to the temple meals, sometimes devoid of onion and garlic. It comprises dishes made basically from grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. Usage of foreign vegetables like carrots, capsicum, potatoes and the like were avoided, which made it all the more restrictive. And also there is a common misconception that Udupi cuisine entails only tiffin and breakfast items, well in fact it has a wide array of full course meal including curries, saar or rasam, side dishes, sweets, kosambari (Salads) etc. A typical full course Udupi meal is always served on a plantain leaf, which is traditionally kept on the ground.

Ingredients to make this salad :

The pulses generally used in this salad are split Bengal gram (chana dal / kadale bele in Kannada) and sometime split green gram (moong dal / hesaru bele in Kannada). There are many variations of the kosambari particularly by selecting the vegetables like cucumber or carrot or both in grated form. By adding both of them, the salad looks so colorful. I have picked moong dal and cucumber to make this salad. Green chili gives slight spiciness in the salad, but if serving to kids, then simply skip this. In addition to this, some freshly grated coconut is mixed. Lemon juice gives the tangy-ness in the salad. In summer when fresh raw mangoes are easily available, one can use some grated raw mangoes instead of lemon here. Some also uses a tempering to the salad. And for tempering, few curry leaves and mustard seeds are used along with a pinch of asafoetida. I have not added any tempering here. So this is a completely NO COOK recipe.


Preparation method of this Kosambari :

The time consuming part here is the soaking of lentils, else rest everything is so quick. I have picked split green gram (moong dal) and soaked in water for 1 hour. Then those are drained well and kept aside. Next in a mixing bowl all the 

cucumber cubes, soaked moong dal, grated coconut, chopped green chilies & coriander leaves are mixed well. If preferring the tempering, then now heat oil in a tadka pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and allow to crackle. Add this tempering to the salad bowl and mix everything. Then just before serving lemon juice and salt are added and mixed. After that, it is served immediately, else the salt will make the salad slightly soggy.



Why one should make this ?

  • so easy, simple & refreshing salad
  • NO COOK dish
  • perfect healthy dish during festival
  • Vegan as well as Gluten free
  • No oil recipe

Serving suggestion :

This raw salad is very refreshing and cooling. Usually this is offered as Prasad (offerings) in most of the temples. As most of the ingredients are eaten raw, the kosambari salad is highly nutritious and energetic. In Udupi cuisine, it is one of the first five items to be served on the leaf during any feast which is also an indication that Kosambari is quite the star dish. This makes a good balance in the overall meal. 

It is also believed that Kosambari was first made to celebrate the victory of Rama who came triumphantly after slaying the 10-headed demon king Ravana. So this salad is often prepared during Ram Navami too. Soaking the moong dal is the most time consumed while preparing the salad. Else the rest process like mixing everything and finally tossing with lemon juice and salt make it so easy, quick to have the salad. Also this is completely vegan and gluten free. Although this is usually served as an appetizer, still one can opt as a healthy main meal or even snack. So do give a try this simple salad using lentil and cucumber !

Event related to this post :

 Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge



Well, the May month challenge in ‘Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge‘ group was ‘Udupi Cuisine’. The theme was suggested by Jayashree, she is a talented blogger friend of mine. Well for the current theme, my partner was Ashima (blogs at my weekend kitchen) who gave me 2 secret ingredients as Lemon juice Coconut and I gave her as Jaggery & Tamarind. Do check this chutney prepared by her 😊 And as usual, using mine two ingredients I had to prepare a dish from Udupi cuisine. So I have picked the salad using lentil as Udupi Kosambari / Lentil Cucumber Salad.

: Recipe Card :

Udupi Kosambari / Lentil Cucumber Salad / Hesaru Bele Koshambari

Print

Udupi Kosambari / Lentil Cucumber Salad / Uddina Bele Koshambari

Author:

Prep time: 10 MCook time: Total time: 10 M

a no cook salad from Udupi cuisine using lentils and cucumber

Ingredients:

  • Moong dal (split green gram) 1/3 cup
  • Cucumber (cut into cubes) 1 cup
  • Coconut (grated) 2-3 tbsp
  • Green chili (finely chopped) 1-2 no.
  • Lemon juice 1 tsp
  • Salt as needed
  • Coriander leaf (finely chopped) (optional) few

Instructions:

  1. First wash and clean the moong dal.
  2. Soak with enough water in a bowl for 1 hour.
  3. Drain well and keep aside.
  4. Next in a mixing bowl take cucumber cubes, soaked moong dal, grated coconut, chopped green chilies & coriander leaves.
  5. Mix well.
  6. Just before serving, add lemon juice and salt.
  7. Give a nice mix and serve immediately !

Notes:

While serving to kids, just avoid the green chili addition.
Always mix the salt just before serving. Else the salad becomes slightly soggy.

kosambari, lentil salad, cucumber, moong dal, split green gram, coconut, lemon,

vegan, gluten free, salad, no cook recipe, Udupi koshambari

Udupi

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @firsttimercook on instagram and hashtag it #firsttimercook

You may also follow me on FacebookPinterestTwitterGoogle+Instagram and can subscribe for free to get new recipes directly into your inbox 😊

PIN for later :

14 Comments

  1. Shobha

    A simple and healthy salad. I like the addition of lentils in this.

  2. Priya Vj

    Refreshing kosambari .. just love it

  3. Swati

    Refreshing Salad for summers, that i will love to replace with meals, as i can't have anything heavy in lunch. A kind of mini meal.

  4. Mayuri Patel

    Samita, it was during my daughter's wedding when we were planning the South Indian menu that the chef suggested kosambari. When he said raw moong dal, I was a bit skeptical. He sent a bit the next day over to my place and I tasted it and fell in love with it. Just love how refreshing the salad tastes. Thanks for reminding me to make this delicious salad.

  5. Priya Iyer

    I'm a big fan of Kosambari. It's so simple to make, yet so flavourful. A great way to add raw veggies to your diet. Your dish looks absolutely brilliant!

  6. Poonam Bachhav

    The kosambari sounds so refreshing Sasmita ! Love the addition of lentils here. Pergct snack during Summers.

  7. Priya Satheesh

    This is one of my favourite salad. Simple yet nutritious, refreshing and flavourful. You have presented so well and it looks so refreshing for eyes!

  8. Narmadha

    So simple and flavorful salad with cucumber and lentils. Healthy and nutritious and can enjoy them anytime

  9. Vasusvegkitchen

    Very refreshing salad, kosambari is one of the most served in Temple in lunch. I regularly prepare this when I find cucumber, loved your version alot.

  10. Anu

    Kosambari is one of my fav salads during summer. These are so refreshing and healthy.

  11. cookwithrenu

    Kosambari with cucumber and lentil sounds refreshing and a very healthy meal. Colourful plate.

  12. preethi'scuisine

    A delicous and nutritious salad. A regular at my place.Kosambari looks super tempting.

  13. jayashree

    We regularly make this one during festivities, it is simple yet tasty.

  14. mildly indian

    Kosambari is our go to salad. We love the comfort of coconut with the soaked moong dal and the tangy cooling eeffect from the cucumbers.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

mildly indian

Sasmita

Hey there !

Myself Sasmita, a techie turns to a food blogger which is reflected in this space.

Recommended Recipes