Kakdi Koshimbir (Spicy Indian Cucumber Salad)

In Marathi, “kakdi” means “cucumber,” and “koshimbir” means “salad.” And when combined, Kakdi Koshimbir (Khamang Kakdi) literally translates to a cool cucumber salad.

This is popular in Maharashtrian and Gujarati households in India. This salad is often served at weddings, auspicious ceremonies, and other festive occasions.

For this easy kakdi chi koshimbir, cucumbers are diced and tossed with peanuts, green chilies, cilantro, and lemon juice in a sizzling tempering called ‘tadka’. It’s lightly spiced and takes only 15 minutes to make with just a few pantry ingredients.

Cucumbers have a high water content and a mild, refreshing flavor. In hot weather, they can help with dehydration and provide a cooling effect to the body. This Indian cucumber salad is both light and filling, making it a versatile option that works well as a snack, salad, or side dish.

Credits for this detailed recipe go to my dear friend Shweta, who has been so kind to share her Maharashtrian recipes with me. Be sure to check out her Misal Pav and Ukadiche Modak recipe too.

Recipe Ingredients

This Mahasrashtrain style cucumber salad is a delicious combination of readily available ingredients at home. However, cucumber and peanuts are the stars of this dish.

Cucumber: You can use any variety of cucumbers, like Indian or English, but Persian cucumbers work best for this recipe, in my opinion.

Roasted peanuts: This adds crunch to the salad. You can either use store-bought peanuts or roast and crush/pulse them yourself.

Green chili: You can use any chili/ pepper of your choice. I used Indian green chilies or bird’s eye chilies for this recipe.

Cilantro: I used finely chopped fresh cilantro. This adds an intense flavor to the salad.

Curry leaves: Give character to this salad. If you can, use fresh ones.

Lime Juice: It adds a zing to the salad and is an excellent source of vitamin C.

Spices: Cumin seeds and hing both add flavor to the tempering.

Substitutions

If you are Vegan, you can use any plant-based oil of your choice instead of ghee.

If you are allergic to peanuts, you can substitute these with cashews, walnuts, or any other nut you choose.

To make it nut-free, top the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or other seeds.

Although wheat flour is commonly used in powdered hing/asafoetida, gluten-free versions are also available.

In this salad, I have used Indian green chilies, but you may use whatever hot chili you have available, such as Thai chilies, jalapenos, serranos, etc.

For a non-spicy cucumber salad that both kids and adults can appreciate, eliminate the green chili.

How to Make?

This Indian cucumber salad is so quick to make; it only takes 15 minutes from start to finish in 3 simple steps:

Peel and cut the cucumber into small pieces. Also slit and dice the green chili peppers.

I have shown below how I diced the peanuts on a cutting board. You can crush them in a mortar and pestle or put them in a Ziplock bag and crush them using a rolling pin. You can also use a spice grinder to crush them coarsely.

I like to leave them coarse and not completely ground. That way, they add a perfect crunch to the salad.

In a small pan, heat ghee. Then add asafoetida, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and chopped green chilies. Let it sizzle, remove from the heat.

Drizzle the prepared tempering over the salad. Add salt, sugar, peanuts, cilantro, and lemon juice. Toss well.

Kakdi Koshimbir is ready to enjoy.

Kakdi Koshimbir tastes best when served chilled. It is perfect on its own. It pairs well with everyday meals, especially as a side with Dal and Rice.

Serve as an accompaniment with any Indian curry and roti. It is an excellent option if you are looking for low-carb or Keto Indian recipes. It is also a super hit for potlucks and barbeques.

Pro-Tips

Cucumbers: Use mini Persian cucumbers because they are seedless and have a low water content compared to other varieties.

Peel or not: If you like cucumber with peels, you can skip the peeling step or even partially peel it.

Peanuts: For an amazing nutty flavor and crunchy texture, roast and coarsely grind the peanuts.

Seasoning: To prevent the cucumbers from releasing too much water, season them with salt and sugar just before serving.

Variations

instead of sugar. They will not only enhance the flavor but also add color.

Add freshly grated coconut and take this salad to the next level.

Carrot Koshimbir – Use grated carrots instead of cucumber.

Beetroot Koshimbir – Beetroot can be grated or chopped and substituted with cucumber.

Can I make Kakdi Koshimbir ahead of time?

Prepare and mix all ingredients, and they can be refrigerated for a few hours. But add salt, sugar, and lemon juice just before serving.

How do I store this Indian cucumber salad?

This salad tastes best when made and consumed fresh. When kept, the cucumber in the salad releases water, causing the salad to become soggy.

I don’t like spicy food. Can I still enjoy this salad?

The green chili pepper can be omitted from the recipe to make it non-spicy.

Enjoy this crunchy Kakdi Koshimbir (Indian cucumber salad), which requires no special ingredients or dressing and can be prepared in just a few minutes. The salad has a lovely aroma, thanks to a traditional tempering of asafoetida (hing), cumin seeds, curry leaves, and green chillies.