Kosumbari Salad

Perhaps the most popular SALAD from Karnataka, the Kosumbari is easy to prepare, is very high in protein and is a tasty snack in its own right. Called KOSUMBIR in Maharashtra it is synonymous with festivity, and is offered as Prasada in most temples. It is really very popular as a starter in most festival foods (marriages, major festival lunch etc.,).

INGREDIENTS

Payar Paripu
Moong Dal
Green Gram split
Kadala Paripu
Chana Dal
Bengal gram
4-5 green chillis
Kothumbari soppu (kothumalli, coriander leaves, dhaniya leaves)
Freshly grated coconut
Fresh cucumber and carrot (optional) lime
Mustard for oggarane' (tarka, vagar).

METHOD

Soak 50 gms each of Hesaru beLe' and Kadale' beLe' separately for one hour. Grate the coconut to provide one handful of turi (grated material). Drain the water from hesaru beLe' and kadale' beLe'. Peel one cucumber and cut it into small pieces of the size of a pea (optional). Chop two green chilli. Keep one spoon of oil in a banale' (wok, kadai) warm it and put mustard. Wait till they split, then put the chopped green chillies, turn around and put a pinch of hing (kayam, asaphotida). Put the entire thing onto the bele'. Add salt to taste and then squeeze the juice of half a lime (green variety). Turn around and then put the grated coconut. Adding cucumber or the carrot is purely optional and is not in any way necessary. It does alter the taste slightly. Cucumber makes the kosumbari a little watery and therefore it must be consumed rather quickly (half to one hour). Salt tends to bring out a lot of water from cucumber. Adding either of these two is popular when it is consumed as a snack or prasada. It is not common when served as a starter during festivals along with lunch. Traditionally both the hesaru beLe' and kadale' beLe' kosumbari are prepared together. Sometimes the Kadale' beLe' kosumbari alone is prepared.