Kobichi Pachadi - Cabbage Salad

Story: Today's story is about taking things for granted... sometimes you stop noticing little things on your plate that make your meal interesting.... Like Kobichi Pachadi!! - A simple salad (koshimbeer/kachumber) that I had not really thought of as a specialty until our house-warming party. I made this traditional salad to balance the heat of Paav Bhaji and din't think anyone will even notice it...

Everyone loved it and was raving about the salad instead of the Paav Bhaji. A few weeks back it happened again.. a similar menu.. and Kobichi Pachadi sidelined everything else.. then I realized that most of my friends here are not used to different styles of koshimbeers/kachumbers/Indian salads.

I will post other koshimbeer recipes soon..

Source: Aai (I should mention the source only when it is not my Mom-Aai - otherwise assume it is her..)

Time:30 mins

Ingredients: for 4 people as a side

• 1/2 Cabbage very thinly sliced - coleslaw style
  
• 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut (frozen one is fine)
• 1/2 cup chana daal - soaked in hot water for 20-30 mins
• 1 green chili finely cut
  
• handful finely chopped coriander leaves
  
• 1/2 inch ginger - grated (don't use the canned paste - the vinegar will add a strange flavor)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice - add more if you like the tang
  
• salt and sugar to taste
  

Optional Tadka: 1 tbsp oil, pinch of hing/asafoetida, pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 5-6 curry leaves

Improvisations: Roast a corn and remove the roasted kernels. Add salt, red chili powder and lemon to it and mix well. Use this mixture instead of soaked chana daal. Corn-cabbage combo tastes great!

Recipe:

Mix all the ingredients except Tadka in a bowl and add salt and sugar to taste. I love the crunch of cabbage - so I prefer this without a tadka.. but the curry leaves in the tadka add a real nice flavor.. so I'd say if you want to add tadka - add it just before serving.

Tastes great with soups, and spicy preparations like Paav Bhaji..