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    Home » Recipes » Asian Salad Recipes

    Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad]

    Published: Oct 24, 2021 · Modified: Dec 5, 2021 by The Devil Wears Salad

    Jump to Recipe

    Chop. Toss. Serve. This classic Indian salad is all done in under 15 minutes with no cooking required. Simple everyday ingredients such as tomato, onion and cucumber make this kachumber salad a midweek favourite.

    Diwali themed Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad] for Diwali this recipe
    Jump to:
    • Why You’ll Love Kachumber Salad
    • What Is Kachumber Salad?
    • Should I Peel the Cucumbers?
    • Can We Make It Without Onion?
    • How To Chop Vegetables for Kachumber?
    • Recipe Overview
    • Ingredients
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • Instructions
    • Great Indian Dishes for This Salad
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Recipe

    Why You’ll Love Kachumber Salad

    It’s one of the easiest Indian salads to make as all you need to do is chop and toss. No cooking is required and no complex preparation.

    It’s also a budget friendly salad of familiar and staple ingredients such as tomatoes, onions and cucumber. It’s similar to many Mediterranean and South American salads, with a slight difference due to spicy heat and dry spices.

    It’s one of those salads that are crowd pleasers, and you can whip up quickly without having to plan too far ahead. Plus, it’s delicious, authentic and true to Indian cuisine.

    What Is Kachumber Salad?

    A traditional kachumber salad is a simple chopped salad of tomato, cucumber and onion. It is seasoned with chilli, coriander and has lime or lemon juice.

    It is a refreshing Indian salad with a hint of spice and is often served on the side as an accompaniment to a main meal.

    This salad in India is one of the classics, and it’s a side dish that is well known and usually available in restaurants all over the world. Fantastic nut free salads for all kinds of meals.

    It’s also a great salad to your Diwali festivities if you’re after something fresh.

    Diwali themed Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad] for Diwali

    Should I Peel the Cucumbers?

    It’s not necessary to peel the cucumber for an Indian kachumber salad, but if that is your preference, you certainly can too. I think that the skin enables the cucumber to retain its shape better and provides an extra crunch.

    Can We Make It Without Onion?

    You can definitely make a kachumber salad without onions. This is perfect if you’re a strict Jain vegetarian or perhaps are following a low FODMAP lifestyle.

    You can just omit it altogether without having to worry about finding a substitute.

    How To Chop Vegetables for Kachumber?

    The kachumber salad is typically made up of diced vegetables rather than sliced. The preference is to chop them into pieces similar in size for the onion, tomato and cucumber.

    You can remove the cucumber seeds if you wish so that this Indian salad doesn’t water so much. In which case you might like to get an extra one just in case.

    Be sure to get a firm tomato so that it all doesn’t turn into mush when you toss it together and so that it retains its freshness.

    Recipe Overview

    Flavour/Texture: Like a typical tomato salsa or even a Greek salad, the textures are crunchy, while the tomatoes help soften the overall textures. This Indian kachumber salad is refreshing and familiar.

    It is also citrusy from the lemon or lime and is slightly spicy if you add fresh chillies and/or red chilli pepper. I love adding cumin powder to this recipe as it gives it warmth and nutty finishes.

    Ease: Super easy Indian salad. Chop and toss. Love these kinds of salads. No cooking either!

    Time: Done in under 15 minutes.

    Ingredients

    These are the ingredients you need for kachumber salad.

    Individually labelled ingredients for Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad] Ingredients

    Tomatoes: Make sure they are firm, plump and bright red.

    Onion: You’ll need a red onion for this recipe. A small one will be enough as you don’t want it to overpower the whole salad.

    Cucumber: Kachumber is widely known as an Indian cucumber salad. So, the cucumber is an essential component of the recipe. A good-sized continental or garden will work. English cucumbers are great, too, as they are seedless, which means they won’t water as much.

    Green chilli: Love adding some fresh green chilli, serrano pepper or jalapeño for this kachumber salad recipe. Remove the seeds if you think they will be too spicy but otherwise, chop them into small pieces.

    Salt, pepper, red chilli pepper, cumin powder: Necessary seasoning and spices required for this recipe.

    Lime: I prefer lime juice instead of lemon juice for kachumber, but you can choose either. It will work equally well.

    Variations and Substitutions

    Red chilli powder substitute: A good red chilli pepper substitute is cayenne pepper. If the red chilli pepper is too much, you can just add black pepper powder.

    Coriander (cilantro) replacement: You can replace coriander with flat leaf parsley.

    Lemon or lime? The citrus component can be lime or lemon.

    Green chilli alternative: You can use serrano or jalapeños if you can’t find green chillies.

    Additions: Some known variations to the recipe include adding red radish, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, pomegranate arils and mint leaves.

    Some crunch: For some crunch, you can add peanuts, walnuts or some seeds such as pepitas, sunflower seeds or hemp seeds.

    Vinegar based kachumber: For a kachumber salad with vinegar, replace the lime or lemon juice with equal parts vinegar.

    Instructions

    Step by step instructions for how to make kachumber salad.

    Chop the tomatoes, onion, cucumber and green chilli.

    Collage of 4 photos for how to make Kachumber Salad

    Mix them with the rest of the ingredients.

    Mixing kachumber salad in a glass mixing bowl

    Garnish with some coriander. Finely chopped coriander leaves can also be added to the salad if you wish. Don’t you just love quick salad recipes?

    Great Indian Dishes for This Salad

    What to serve with this Indian salad? Try these delicious Indian recipes such as chicken tikka masala, Mughlai lamb: or Dhaba style aloo phool gobi masala. All needing a little refreshment from the kachumber salad.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make this kachumber salad (Indian cucumber salad) in advance?

    Kachumber salad does not keep well, so you can prepare each ingredient separately but only toss it all together when it is time to eat. This way, it won’t get watery, retains its crunch, and is fresh to taste.

    What onions are best for Indian kachumber salad?

    The best onion to eat raw in a kachumber salad is red onion. It has the mildest and sweetest flavour of all the onions. It also has a crisp texture which is great when consumed uncooked. Purple is also a lovely colour.

    What other vegetables go well with Indian kachumber salad?

    The classic kachumber salad has evolved over time, and there are many different variations that one can adapt to.

    Some other fruit and vegetables that may be added to the kachumber recipe include red radish, pomegranate arils, green mango, regular mango, carrots and bell peppers.


    How simple is this kachumber recipe? It’s no wonder this salad in India is so popular! I guess you can’t really go wrong with a classic combination of tomatoes, onions and cucumber. But it’s the added spices and chilli that make this unique and a fantastic side dish to have with any meal.

    That’s all!

    More Indian Side Dishes

    • Turmeric Rice Recipe [Fluffy & Fragrant!]
    • Veg Pulao [Easy Indian Rice Dish]
    • Chicken Pakora Recipe
    • Paneer Butter Masala
    Kachumber Salad in a black bowl served with veg pulao, Bombay Aloo and naan

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    Recipe

    Kachumber Salad in a black bowl served with veg pulao
    Print Recipe
    4.91 from 54 votes

    Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad]

    Chop. Toss. Serve. This classic Indian salad is all done in under 15 minutes with no cooking required. Simple everyday ingredients such as tomato, onion and cucumber make this kachumber salad a midweek favourite.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Dietary: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 58kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 tomatoes, large
    • 1 onion, small
    • 1 cucumber, medium
    • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
    • ¼ cup coriander, chopped
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp pepper
    • ¼ tsp red chilli powder
    • ¼ tsp cumin powder
    • ½ lime, juiced

    Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.

    Instructions

    • Chop the tomatoes, onion, cucumber and green chilli.
    • Mix them with the rest of the ingredients.
    • Garnish with some coriander. Finely chopped coriander leaves can also be added to the salad if you wish.

    Notes

    • A good red chilli powder substitute is cayenne pepper. If the red chilli pepper is too much, you can just add black pepper powder.
    • You can replace coriander with flat leaf parsley.
    • The citrus component can be lime or lemon.
    • You can use serrano or jalapeños if you can’t find green chillies.
    • Some known variations to the recipe include adding red radish, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, pomegranate arils and mint leaves.
    • For some crunch, you can add peanuts, walnuts or some seeds such as pepitas, sunflower seeds or hemp seeds.
    • For a kachumber salad with vinegar, replace the lime or lemon juice with equal parts vinegar.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1582IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

    *Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy Liu Dong

      September 17, 2022 at 1:20 am

      5 stars
      Such an easy and quick salad recipe to make. Perfect pair for my grilled chicken.

      Reply
    2. Jean

      October 26, 2021 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      glad to try a salad with great flavors and low in calories!

      Reply

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    The Devil Wears Salad Team

    United by a common love for salads, us 3 girls decided to embark on a journey to show you that you CAN win friends with salad!

    Tried and tested, these recipes are designed for all discerning home cooks. We have everything from no cook recipes right through to showstoppers. Something for everyone!

    More About Us →

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Korean Cucumber Salad – Oi Muchim (오이무침)
    • Roasted Asian Eggplant with Gochujang Glaze
    • Air Fryer Parsnip Fries
    • Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad]
    • Miso Mayo Dressing
    • Yuzu Dressing
    FEED YOUR FOMO

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