Kosambari

Kosambari or koshambari is a south Indian salad made from pulses (split legumes) and seasoned with mustard seeds.

Ingredients

● The pulses generally used are split bengal gram and split Green gram, along with grated coconut, coriander, chillies, etc. They are seasoned with curry leaves, mustard seeds and sometimes also asafetida. These salads can be eaten as snacks, but usually are a part of a full course meal.

Preparation

● Broadly, the gram is soaked. For a couple of hours. Then grated coconut, chillies, chopped coriander and/or carrot maybe added. Finely cut cucumber too, can be used in this salad. During mango season unripe mango is grated and added. Seasoning is added just before serving.

Kosambari is a popular food served as naivedyam/prasadam during festivals as also in temples. During Varamahalakshmi and Gowri festivals in South India, women invite each other and exchange kosambari along with turmeric and vermilion (kumkumam) to celebrate divinity in the feminine.

Mango kosambari

Ingredients & Method:

● Mango – 370 grams, (Choose mango in such a way it is sour and does not have fibre) cut into small pieces like rice grains.

● Jaggery – 93.5 grams, elachi – 4.6 grams, salt – 14 grams (mix all these three with the above cut mango)

● Seasoning: gingelly oil – 18.75 grams, mustard – 4.6 grams, red chilly – 4.6 grams, urad daal – 9.3 grams, asafetida.