It's almost 1 pm, and you are still deciding what to make for lunch. But the mere thought of turning on the gas is enough to drain you. Welcome to peak Indian summer - the season when survival means chugging gallons of fluids, sticking to cooling foods, and keeping the air conditioner on 'high cool' mode. This is the time of the year when rich, heavy gravies quietly exit our plates, making way for light, refreshing meals that help regulate body temperature naturally. In fact, during summer, we are constantly looking out for easy, fuss-free, cooling and hydrating recipes.
Enter carrot koshimbir - a traditional Maharashtrian side dish that can level up your everyday summer meals without making you sweat it out in the kitchen. Sounds perfect, right? In this article, we share a quick and simple carrot koshimbir recipe, originally posted by nutritionist Shweta Anarase on her Instagram handle. Let's dive in.
Also Read: 7 No-Fuss, No-Cook Breakfast Recipes That Won't Even Make You Turn On The Gas
What Is Maharashtrian Koshimbir?
To put it simply, koshimbir is Maharashtra's answer to the classic salad bowl - a refreshing medley of raw vegetables brought to life with simple yet punchy seasonings. There are countless variations of this dish, each with its twist. The most basic version typically includes chopped onion, salt, sugar, green chillies, and a squeeze of lime. But it doesn't stop there - you can easily level it up by adding ingredients like cucumber, carrot, beetroot, or even a dollop of yogurt. And for that sizzling final touch? A tadka of mustard seeds, hing, and curry leaves.
What ties every version of koshimbir together is the soul - always fresh, always flavour-packed, and always the quiet hero of a summer thali.
Also Read: Treat Your Taste Buds With This Easy 10-Minute Kachumber Salad Recipe
What Makes Mahashtrian Koshimbir A Popular Summer Dish?
Crisp, creamy, and ready in minutes, Koshimbir is the kind of dish that checks all the right boxes for the season.
- It requires no cooking. All you need to do is add a quick tadka to the salad.
- Cucumber, carrot and onion make koshimbir a cool and hydrating dish.
- It takes 10 minutes to put together a bowl of koshimbir.
- Koshimbir is versatile and goes well with every Indian dish - from dal-chawal, roti-sabzi to tandoori chicken/paneer, pakoda, etc.
How To Make Carrot Koshimbir For Summer Meals?
Ingredients:
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium cucumber
- Fresh coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp crushed peanuts
- 1-1.5 cups curd
- 1 chopped green chilli
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 6-7 curry leaves
- A pinch of hing
- Half tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- Oil to temper
Method
- In a bowl, add grated carrot and cucumber and squeeze out the excess water.
- Add crushed peanuts, salt, green chilli, coriander leaves and curd and mix everything well.
- Now heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, hing, turmeric and curry leaves.
- Let it splutter and then add the tadka to the bowl of carrot-cucumber mix. Give everything a good mix.
- Refrigerate the salad for some time and enjoy it as a refreshing side with your meals.
The Takeaway:
When the heat is relentless and your appetite is playing hard to get, carrot koshimbir comes to the rescue. It is proof that simple ingredients, when paired thoughtfully, can create something surprisingly addictive. So, the next time your kitchen feels like a sauna, and you can't bear the idea of cooking, just grate a carrot, toss in a few pantry staples, and whip up a bowl of koshimbir- the easiest way to fix your appetite in no time.