Kosambri

Name: Kosambri
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Moong Dal, split yellow; 1 cup Carrot, grated; 1 tablespoon Coconut, freshly grated; 1 tablespoon Cilantro, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed; 1 teaspoon urad dal; 1 tablespoon cooking oil; 1 pinch asafoetida; 1 pinch turmeric powder; 1 to taste salt; 2 tablespoons Pomegranate Seed; 1 to taste Chili, green, finely chopped

Veg Vegan

Raw lentil and vegetable salad with coconut — split yellow moong dal (or chana dal) soaked in water for thirty minutes until slightly softened but still crunchy, drained and mixed with finely grated raw carrot (or cucumber, or raw mango), freshly grated coconut, finely chopped green chilli, lemon juice, salt, and fresh coriander. Tempered with mustard seeds, dried red chilli, and curry leaves in a teaspoon of coconut oil poured over the surface. No cooking of the dal — the raw soaked texture is the point: crunchy, fresh, protein-dense, and cooling. The kosambri is Karnataka's version of a raw salad; served as a small, refreshing side on the meal plate. The soaked moong dal's mild, green, slightly nutty flavour against the sharp lemon and coconut is distinctly Karnataka. Present at every festival meal alongside the cooked preparations.

Cuisines

Mangalorean Udupi Coorgi Mysore Saraswat North Karnataka

Best for

Lunch Dinner

Recipe

Prep: 10 min Cook: 5 min Total: 15 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

	1/2 cup	Moong Dal , split yellow
	1 cup	Carrot , grated
	1 tablespoon	Coconut , freshly grated
	1 tablespoon	Cilantro , finely chopped
	1 tablespoon	Lemon juice
	1 teaspoon	Mustard Seed
	1 teaspoon	Urad dal
	1 tablespoon	Cooking oil
	1 pinch	Asafoetida
	1 pinch	Turmeric powder
	1 to taste	Salt
	2 tablespoons	Pomegranate Seed
	1 to taste	Chili , green, finely chopped

Instructions

1 Wash the split yellow moong dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 1-2 hours.
2 Drain the water from the soaked moong dal and transfer it to a mixing bowl.
3 Add grated carrot, freshly grated coconut, and finely chopped coriander leaves to the bowl.
4 In a small pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
5 Add urad dal, asafoetida, and turmeric powder to the pan and sauté until the urad dal turns golden brown.
6 Pour the tempered mixture over the moong dal and vegetables in the mixing bowl.
7 Add lemon juice, salt to taste, and finely chopped green chili to the mixture.
8 Mix everything well until all ingredients are combined.
9 Garnish with pomegranate seeds before serving.

Tips

For added flavor, you can include a few curry leaves in the tempering.