A salad is a dish consisting of small pieces of raw or cooked food mixed with a sauce and almost always served cold. Salads usually consist of cucumbers, radish, carrots, onions and tomatoes sprinkled with salt, pepper and lemon. Salads are an important part of any meal. They add to the flavour of the food and are also healthy to eat. Salads can be based on a wide variety of foods including vegetables, fruits, and grains. Indian salads usually consist of cucumbers, radish, carrots, onions and tomatoes sprinkled with salt, pepper and lemon. In summers, the seasonal vegetables in these salads provide a fresh feel through their cool water content and limejuice. The sauce used as a flavor for salad is commonly called a salad dressing.

Most salads are served cold, although some are served warm. The salads that are served warm are often termed as Casserole. Salads are amongst the many accompaniments one can find with an Indian meal.

Salads may be served at any point during a meal, such as:

•Appetizer salads to stimulate the appetite as the first course of the meal.
•Side salads to accompany the main course as a side dish.
•Main course salads usually containing a portion of heartier fare. Palate-cleansing salads to settle the stomach after the main course. Dessert salads often containing fruit.

Types of Salads
There are various types of salads that can be prepared depending on the fruits and vegetables used and also the method in which it is prepared. Different types of salads are as follows:

Green Salad
The green salad is famously known as "garden salad". It is composed of leafy vegetables such as lettuce varieties, spinach etc. Green salads are considered as common diet food due to their low caloric density. They are often garnished with nuts.

Vegetable Salad
Vegetables other than greens are also used in this salad. Common raw vegetables used in the salad include cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, onions, spring onions, red onions, carrots, celery, and radishes.

Bound Salad
A bound salad can be composed or tossed. They are assembled with thick sauces such as mayonnaise; hung curd etc. potato salad is a classic example of bound salad. It is also used as sandwich fillings.

Main Course Salad
Main course salad is also known as "dinner salad" which mainly contains cooked food. These salads are basically served warm.

Fruit Salad
Fruit salads are made of fruit and include the fruit cocktail that can be made fresh or from canned fruit.

Dessert Salad
Dessert salads are often sweet. Common variants are made with gelatin or whipped cream; e.g. jello salad, pistachio salad, and ambrosia. Salads are sometimes garnished with ingredients like nuts, cherry tomatoes, various cheeses, berries, seeds etc. Color considerations are sometimes addressed by using edible flowers, red radishes, carrots, various colors of peppers, and other colorful ingredients.


1. South Indian Style Salads Ingredients

•1 carrot, peeled and julienne
•1 cucumber, peeled and diced
•1 tomato, diced
•1 green chilli (chilli pepper), minced
•1 small bunch of cilantro, coriander leaves minced
•Salt and pepper to taste
•2 tablespoons lemon/lime juice

For Salad Dressing

•2 teaspoons oil
•1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
•1 teaspoon black gram dal (washed urad dal), picked over and rinsed
•1 red chilli (chilli pepper), halved
•1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
•A few curry leaves (optional)

Method
1. Add the carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, green chilly, cilantro, pepper and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a heavy pan or skillet. Add the mustard seeds, black gram dal, halved red chilli, asafoetida, and a few curry leaves.
4. When the mustard seeds splutter, add this mixture to the vegetables. Now add the lemon juice, and mix thoroughly.
5. Serve at room temperature.

2. North Indian Style salad Ingredients:

•3 large Tomatoes, diced
•2 large Cucumber, peeled and finely diced
•1/4th cup Onion, finely diced
•1 Green chilli, finely chopped
•A few sprigs of Coriander / Cilantro leaves
•1 to 2 teaspoons Sugar
•3/4th teaspoon Salt
•Lime juice to taste
•1/2 tsp. cumin seeds that are dry roasted in a skillet and then ground in a mortar

Method
1. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Set aside.
3. Serve at room temperature.

3. South West Indian Style Salad Ingredients:

•4 cups mixed fruits chopped (pineapple, mango, apple and green or black grapes depending on availability) tablespoons fresh grated coconut
•2 dry red chilli (es)
•1 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
•2 tablespoon(s) sugar or as per taste
•Salt to taste

Method
1. Mix the sugar into the chopped fruits and keep aside.
2. Grind the coconut with the red chilli (es) and a little water. When almost done, add the mustard seeds.
3. Grind for a few more seconds till the mustard seeds are crushed. Add the coconut paste to the fruits with salt and mix well.
4. Serve cold or at room temperature

4. Common Salad Recipe:

•10-12 Salad leaves
•1 small cabbage (shredded)
•1 Onion (Thinly sliced into rings)
•1 Cucumber (Sliced into rings)
•2-3 Carrots (peeled and thinly sliced)
•1 Radish (peeled and thinly sliced)
•1 banana (cut into rings)
•1 Guava sliced
•1 apple thinly sliced
•1 tomato (thinly sliced into rings)
•2tsp lemon juice
•Salt to taste
•Chaat masala to taste

Method
1. Take big plate and arrange salad leaves.
2. Add shredded cabbage, onions, carrot, cucumber, and radish.
3. Now arrange tomato, banana, apples, and guavas.
4. Sprinkle salt and chaat masala. Pour lemon juice.
5. Sprouted Moong dal Salad:

5. Sprout Salad Ingredients:

•2 cups sprouted green gram or moong dal
•4 tbsp. onions finely chopped
•2 cups tomato and cucumber chopped
•2 big lettuces leaves sliced fine
•2 tbsp. roasted peanuts
•A dash of lemon and salt to taste

Method
1. Gently mix all the ingredients except for the roasted peanuts in a salad bowl. Keep refrigerated.
2. Mix in the roasted peanuts just before serving.
3. Serve cold.

6. Potato Salad Ingredients

•Potatoes: 6 medium sized
•Spinach: 1 bunch
•Garlic: 2 cloves
•Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
•Plain yogurt: 1 cup, hung overnight
•Chives: 2 sprigs
•Salt and pepper to taste.

Method
1. Boil the potatoes but do not make them too soft.
2. Cool and peel them.
3. Dice the potatoes
4. Blanch spinach in hot water for 10 secs and immediately refresh them in ice cold water, then chop them coarsely.
5. Crush the garlic cloves and mix it with the yogurt and lemon juice.
6. Pour the yogurt mixture on the diced potatoes
7. Mix the chopped spinach with the potato yogurt mixture.
8. Sprinkle finely chopped chives on it.
9. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Chickpea Salad Ingredients:

•1 cup boiled chickpea
•1 potato boiled and diced
•1 tomato chopped
•1tsp chopped coriander leaves
•1 green chilli chopped
•2tsp lime juice
•1/4tsp black salt
•1tsp chaat masala
•Salt to taste

Method
1. In a bowl add boiled chickpea, potato, tomato and green chilli.
2. Add lime juice, black salt and common salt as per the taste.
3. Mix all the ingredients well.
4. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.