Kosambari

Before you start

• Soak the moong dal in plenty of cold water for 1 hour — no longer, or it loses its bite. It should crush between your nails but still snap.
• Dice the cucumber and leave it in a sieve for 10 minutes so the salad does not turn watery.
• Mix in the salt and lemon only at the table; salted early, the cucumber weeps.

Method

1. Drain the soaked moong dal thoroughly and spread it on a cloth for 5 minutes to shed surface water.
2. Tip it into a wide bowl with the drained cucumber, grated carrot, coconut, green chilli and coriander leaves.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a small pan until it shimmers, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, about 30 seconds.If they do not pop, the oil was not hot enough and the tempering will taste raw.
4. Add the curry leaves and hing, swirl for 10 seconds until the leaves go crisp, then take the pan off the heat.
5. Pour the tempering over the salad and fold it through.
6. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and salt to taste and toss once more.Taste after the lemon — cucumber varies in sweetness and the balance shifts.

Storage

Best within 2 hours of mixing. Refrigerated it keeps overnight but the cucumber softens; drain off any liquid and refresh with lemon before serving.