Khamang Kakdi is a delicious lightly spiced crunchy cucumber salad from the Maharashtrian cuisine. Freshness in a bowl, Khamang kakdi is made with cucumber, coconut, peanuts and a few herbs and spices. It is also known as kakdi chi koshimbir which in Marathi language means, salad (koshimbir) made from cucumber (kakdi).
About Khamang Kakdi
Khamang Kakdi is a delightful salad having various flavors and textures. It features a mix of cucumber, fresh coconut, roasted peanuts, lemon juice and green chilies that are later tempered with mustard and curry leaves. So you can imagine the taste, flavor and texture this cucumber salad must be having.
For the cucumber, feel free to use the Indian varieties of cucumber. If you prefer less seeds, then make the salad with English cucumber.
This is a very easy recipe and gets done quickly. So when you want to have refreshing and light food between meals, then this Khamang kakdi is an option you can try.
This kakdi koshimbir is so good, that you can just have it as is. It also pairs well as a side dish with any vegetarian Maharashtrian meal like Varan Bhaat or Usal or Vangi Bath or Bharli Vangi or Bharli Bhendi.
How to make Khamang Kakdi
Preparation
1. Heat a small pan and add ¼ cup peanuts. You can skip this step of roasting peanuts, if you have pre-roasted peanuts.
2. On a low heat stirring often roast the peanuts.
3. The peanuts should have a few black spots on them and should be well roasted. Keep them aside till they are cooled completely.
4. Rinse 2 medium-sized cucumbers. Chop them finely. You will need about 2 cups of finely chopped cucumber.
5. Keep the chopped cucumber aside for 15 to 20 minutes in a bowl or plate.
6. Meanwhile when the peanuts cool at room temperature, remove the skin from the peanuts. Just rub them between your palms and the skin comes out easily. Add the peanuts in a mortar-pestle.
7. Crush to a coarse powder. You can even crush peanuts in a small mixer-grinder jar or a spice-grinder.
Making kakdi koshimbir
8. After 15 to 20 minutes squeeze water from the cucumber by cupping them between your palms or holding them in your fist.
You can also place them in a mesh strainer and press with a wooden spatula to release the juices. Then add them to a mixing bowl.
9. Add the coarsely crushed peanuts.
10. Then add the following ingredients:
- ¼ cup fresh grated coconut
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice for some tang. You can add less or more lemon juice as required.
11. Stir and mix to combine.
12. Add 1 green chili (chopped) and mix again.
Making tempering
13. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a tadka pan or small pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle on a low to medium-low heat. Use any neutral flavored oil.
14. When the mustard seeds finish crackling, add 7 to 8 curry leaves (chopped or whole). Stir and then switch off the heat.
15. Pour the tempering mixture into the cucumber mixture.
16. Stir and mix very well. Now you can keep the khamang kakdi mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours if not serving immediately.
17. Just before serving add some sugar and salt as per taste.
18. Mix well.
19. Serve khamang kakdi as it as or as a side dish with any Maharashtrian meal. You can garnish with some coriander leaves while serving.
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Khamang Kakdi
Ingredients
For khamang kakdi
- 2 cups finely chopped cucumber or 2 medium sized cucumbers
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup freshly grated coconut
- 1 green chili – finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice – can be added more or less
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- salt as required
- ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
For tempering
- 1 tablespoon oil peanut or sunflower oil or any neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
Instructions
Making khamang kakdi
- Heat a small pan and add the peanuts.
- On a low heat stirring often roast the peanuts.
- The peanuts should have a few black spots on them and should be well roasted. Keep them aside till they are cooled completely.
- Rinse the cucumbers. Peel and then chop them finely.
- Keep the chopped cucumber aside for 15 to 20 minutes in a bowl or plate.
- Meanwhile when the peanuts cool at room temperature, remove the skins from the peanuts. Just rub them between your palms and the peanut skin will come out easily. Add the peanuts in a mortar-pestle.
- Crush to a coarse powder. You can even crush peanuts in a small mixer-grinder jar or spice-grinder
- After 15 to 20 minutes squeeze water from the cucumber by cupping between your palms or holding between your fists. Then add the cucumber in a mixing bowl.
- Add the coarsely crushed peanuts.
- Add fresh grated coconut, chopped green chilies, chopped coriander leaves and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. You can add less or more lemon juice as required.
- Mix very well.
Making tempering for khamang kakdi
- Heat oil in a tadka pan or small pan. Keep heat to a low. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- When the mustard seeds finish crackling, add curry leaves (chopped or whole). Stir and then switch off the heat.
- Pour the tempering mixture in the cucumber mixture.
- Mix very well. Now you can keep the khamang kakdi mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours if not serving immediately.
- Just before serving add sugar and salt as per taste.
- Mix well and then serve khamang kakdi. You can garnish with some coriander leaves while serving.
Notes
- Use tender, fresh cucumber. Do not use cucumbers that have become mature and ripened.
- If you prefer less seeds in cucumber, you can opt for English Cucumber.
- Make sure to squeeze the cucumber of the juices, so that the salad does not become soggy or has liquids in it.
- You can refrigerate this salad for a couple of hours before serving. Place it in a covered container and mix in with salt and sugar while serving.
- Instead of peanuts, you can chose to add some roasted cashews or pistachios or roasted almonds.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Khamang Kakdi post from the archives (October 2012) has been republished and updated on 14 September 2021.
Hi there,
This recipe looks yummy! Can one use dessicated grated coconut instead of fresh? If so, what would the quantity be (compared to the fresh coconut in the recipe) and any special treatment of the coconut (soaking?) beforehand?
If using desiccated coconut, you will need to soak them in warm water for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will soften them. Then drain all the water and add to the preparation. You could add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of desiccated coconut.
Hi Dassana, this recipe is fantastic and it is so easy to prepare. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Indira, welcome and thanks for the feedback. Yes, this is an easy recipe and tastes good too.
Hello mam today my daughter made your maharastrian cucumber salad in fireless
cooking competition. She won the first prize. I could not resist myself to share this with you. Thank you.
thanks nalini for sharing this. nice to know and glad too. regards to you and your daughter.
hi dassana.. i made this today and we loved it… this is definitely gonna be a regular on teh menu now….thank u
thanks renu for the feedback
looks easy and I’m sure tastes excellent as well
the khamang kakdi tastes very good.