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.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Khamang Kakdi post from the archives (October 2012) has been republished and updated on 14 September 2021.
I love khamang kakdi with sabudana khichdi.. adding phodni is new to me.. looks good 🙂
the phodni or tempering adds a lot of flavor to the khamang kakdi
Another awesome looking recipe with freshly grated coconut. Sigh. 🙂
Hey you re-did your blog, right? I am not crazy–I hope! Looks wonderful!
thanks laura. yes we made some changes to the blog.
This is my favorite salad. Khamang kakdi, varan- bhaat and batata bhaji. Wow, the perfect meal.
Your salad looks wonderful . Going to make it today!
Hi Asmita can you tell me what is VARAN-BHAAT? and how is it made? if i get this recipe i will try it & let you know.Thanks.
hi rewa, varan is a maharashtrian style simple dal and bhaat is steamed rice in marathi language. there is one recipe on my blog which has coconut in it. you can skip the coconut in this one. link here: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/varan-bhaat-recipe/
i checked asmita’s blog and there is no varan recipe. however there is another maharashtrian dal called as amti which is also an excellent dal that goes with rice or chapatis. here is the link: http://www.compulsivefoodie.com/2011/10/21/yellow-lentil-toor-aamti/
on google search you will find many varan recipes that do not add coconut.
Oh the camera not working is a nightmare and so frustrating too.
I love making Khaman salads with cucumber and carrot mix. Lovely picture as always.
Hello Dassana!!!
Sorry to hear about ur camera… it would be our loss actually!! 🙁
Thanks for posting this recipe coz it has been a while since I made this!!! And yes, even I love to have it all by itself, also it is a simple dish to make especially when I am tired of making any bhaji during summers!! Just a point…. I believe it is good idea to use ‘Vili’, i.e our traditional equipment for cutting/ chopping, to cut the cucumber. The word we use is ‘kakdi chochavne’ where the cucumber is first given random vertical cuts and then chopped (difficult to explain but I am sure u already know this). We also follow this method for making kobi pachadi.
Sorry to take up so much space, but couldn’t help commenting!
Take care!
hi suruchi, the camera not working at the festive time is really a dampener for me.
i know about vili. at home my mom still uses this traditional tool for cutting some veggies. i have seen one of my maharashtrian neighbors doing the method you have described above. it is alright if you comment a lot. i will be updating the info you have given in the post soon.
Thanks dear!!!