Now that the weather is getting warmer, people will start to have make and eat more salads.

What salads, raitas and pickles can be served with Indian meals?

With the Indian meals, it’s traditional to have some small salad, raita or pickle  as side depending on what the main course is so just what you have available. Sometimes, it’s just a simple tomato and onion kachumber garnished with just salt and pepper and some dhana jiru (coriander and cumin mixed powder).  Every so often we make fresh pickles using carrots, mangoes and chilies which are full of flavours and need to be eaten within a few days.  Sometimes we make different chutneys – my favourite being the popular green one often called “lili chutney”  in most homes, as it is a green chutney.  It is made with coriander, chilies, ginger, garlic etc. and looks green.   Sometimes we make a warm salad called sambharo using a combination of carrots, raw papaya,mangoes and cabbage. .  As I mentioned before, the decision is often made depending on what is seasonally available and what the main meal is.

Jump to Recipe

Recently I have been making small amounts of  fresh salad using ingredients such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes etc.  The salad is served with a dressing of Creme Fraiche.  I like using Creme Fraiche for its fresh cool taste.  The salad becomes creamy and tastes very much like some freshly made raita.  I used Creme Fraiche the first time when it came as one of the ingredients in my Hello Fresh boxes.   I used it to make this creamy rigatoni.  Since then I have been using Creme Fraiche in my cooking.

What is Creme Fraiche? 

Creme Fraiche literally translated is fresh cream. However, Creme Fraiche  looks a lot like thick yogurt and it is actually a thick cream made from double cream which has been soured using bacteria in the form of a starter culture.  This thickens it and gives it a slightly sour taste.  Creme Fraiche  when added to potato salad with chives gives it  a lovely creamy taste.  I used a similar idea to add to my salads.  The nearest substitute for Creme Fraiche would be the Greek Style yogurt with a very small amount of lemon juice added.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• • 3-4 heaped tablespoons of creme fraiche
  • a glug of olive oil
  • salt to taste
  • sugar to taste
  • chili flakes to taste
  • 1 clove fresh garlic
  • 1 fresh green or red chili
  • coriander for garnishing

For the salad: Use whatever is available.I used the following:

• 1 cup washed and chopped broccoli
• 4-5  cherry tomatoes
• 5-6 radishes
• one apples or small bunch of red or green grapes

Method:

1.  First make the  Creme Fraiche dressing:

Transfer the Creme Fraiche into a bowl.  Using a garlic press, crush the garlic and add to the creme Fraiche.  Chop the green chili and add that too. Then add the salt and sugar, some chili flakes, half the coriander and olive oil. Whisk all this until well combined.

2.  Wash and chop the ingredients you are using for your salad.  Chop them to any size you prefer.  Add the dressing to it and garnish it with coriander and enjoy.

You can keep changing the salad ingredients you use as well as the spices and herbs you add to your Creme Fraiche dressing to suit your family.

 

Other favourite salads  dressing we enjoy as a family is the Orange dressing I used in my pomegranate salad. 

Salads add a nice crunch to the Indian meal so be adventurous and create the taste your family enjoys using whatever is available locally.

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