Kachumber

Vegetables

• 250 g cucumber, 1 medium, watery core scraped out, 5mm dice
• 3 firm tomatoes, seeds and jelly scooped out, 5mm dice
• 1 small red onion, finely diced, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 green chili, deseeded and minced; leave it out next to a hot curry(optional)

Dressing (at the table)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground; you need 0.5 tsp of the powder
• 1 lime, juiced
• ¾ tsp fine salt
• black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
• 2 tbsp coriander, chopped just before serving

Prep (the morning of)

1. 1

   Toast the 1 tsp cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 90 seconds, shaking, until they darken a shade and smell nutty. Grind them and measure out ½ tsp; keep the rest in a jar.

   2mmediumsmall dry frying pan

   Toasted cumin (bhuna jeera) is a different ingredient from ground cumin out of a jar. Raw ground cumin tastes muddy in a raw salad; toasted, it tastes warm and slightly smoky, and it is most of the seasoning here besides salt and lime.

2. 2

   Halve the 250 g cucumber lengthways and scrape out the watery core with a teaspoon, then dice it to 5mm. Halve the 3 tomatoes, scoop out the seeds and jelly, and dice them to match.

   8m

   Deseed both. The tomato jelly and the cucumber core are where nearly all the leaking comes from, and they are the difference between a salad and a bowl of pink liquid. Dice to 5mm, smaller than a normal salad: kachumber is eaten in spoonfuls alongside curry and rice, and a coarse dice is awkward to eat that way.

3. 3

   Finely dice the 1 red onion, rinse the dice under cold water for 20 seconds and pat dry. Deseed and mince the 1 chili if using.

   4m

   The harsh, lingering bite of raw onion comes from sulphur compounds formed on the cut surfaces, and they are water-soluble. A short rinse washes them off without taking away the crunch or the sweetness.

4. 4

   Keep the cucumber, tomato, onion and chili in the fridge, undressed, and keep the herbs apart. Chop the 2 tbsp coriander only just before serving.

   3m

   Tip: Everything except the dressing can be done in the morning. Nothing gets salted until the plates are on the table.

Dress at the table

1. 5

   As the main course goes down, combine the vegetables in a bowl with the juice of 1 lime, ¾ tsp fine salt, the ½ tsp toasted cumin, a few turns of black pepper and the chopped coriander. Toss and put it on the table straight away.

   2m

   Salt on cut cucumber and tomato draws water out by osmosis within minutes, which is the useful half of salting and draining everywhere else and the problem here. Dressed kachumber left standing for twenty minutes is vegetables sitting in their own liquid. Dress it at the table.

   Salting and Draining Vegetables

   Tip: Taste it once dressed: it should be sharp and bright. If it needs more, add lime before salt, since more salt only pulls out more water.