Madhur Jaffrey’s Cherry Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 9, 2024 • 1 min read
A tadka, the Indian technique of cooking a mixture of spices in fat to release their essential oils, is used to season dishes from dals to salads. This simple tomato and cucumber salad is topped with a two-ingredient tadka—one made with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Be patient and attentive while making your tadka; the mustard seeds will have reached optimum flavor when they stop sputtering in the hot oil, and the curry leaves should be translucent and curled.
Learn From the Best
What Is Tomato Cucumber Salad?
A tomato-cucumber salad is a semi-composed salad featuring slices of two popular summer vegetables: cucumber and tomato. In Indian cuisine, diced tomatoes and cucumbers often appear together in a family of relishes known as kachumber, served as a refreshing side dish. This recipe features a tadka, a mixture of spices tempered in hot oil, poured over the tomatoes and cucumbers.
Madhur Jaffrey’s Cherry Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipe
makes
prep time
5 mintotal time
7 mincook time
2 minIngredients
- 1
Peel the cucumbers and cut them into quarters, first halving them crosswise and then halving each section lengthwise. Arrange the quartered cucumbers on a plate with the tomatoes. Drizzle the vegetables with lemon juice, and then season with salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the roasted cumin powder over the top.
- 2
Heat the oil in a small saucepan or skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle and pop, add the curry leaves and cook until the leaves are glossy, a few seconds more. Remove the oil from the heat, and pour it over the cucumbers and tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Madhur Jaffrey, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Alice Waters, Gordon Ramsay, and more.