Crunchy Keralan Salad Recipes

CRUNCHY KERALAN SALAD

Steps:

• If using a whole coconut you need to crack open the shell. Jamie normally does this by placing it on a tea towel on a hard surface and then giving it a wallop with a rolling-pin or a hammer. Once you've cracked it open you can pull it apart, discarding the hard outer shell.
• Cut the peppers into quarters, remove the stalks and seeds, then finely slice. Trim your cress directly from its punnet (the easiest way to do is to take the cress out of the punnet, wash the leafy end and stalks under a tap, then slice the stalk end off and discard it). Cut the mango flesh off the stones and finely slice it. Get your pieces of coconut and grate them finely. Put all these ingredients into a large salad bowl.
• DRESSING:.
• Finely grate the ginger and lime zest into a small bowl, then add the lime juice and olive oil. Season to taste, and add more oil as necessary to balance the flavour of your dressing. Limes can be different strengths depending on their juiciness and size.
• SERVE:.
• Dress the salad just before serving, saving any extra dressing for another day, and eat straight away. Great just as it is, or with some grilled prawns or satay chicken. Also lovely as a snack inside a wrap or flatbread.

CRUNCHY CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• Before you get started take a look at our chopping and knife skills guide. If your chopping board doesn't have anti-slip grips, lay a dampened tea towel or sheet of kitchen paper on the work surface, then place the board on top to stop it from slipping.
• Holding the lemon with your hand in the bridge position, cut the lemon in half. Push one half onto a citrus juicer, twist and squeeze to release the juice. Repeat with the second lemon half. Pour the juice into a jam jar or small bowl along with the oil.
• Add the mustard, honey and a good pinch each of salt and black pepper. Seal the jar and shake to combine, or whisk the ingredients together. Will keep covered in the fridge for up to a week.
• Cut the tomatoes in half by pinching each one between your thumb and a finger and carefully slicing through the middle with a small serrated knife. Cut each piece in half again to make quarters, then tip the tomatoes into a large bowl.
• Wipe down the chopping board, then cut the cucumber in half lengthways. Put the two halves cut-side down on the board so they don't roll around, then cut in half again along the length, so you have four chunky sticks of cucumber. Cut across the cucumber now to make little triangles, keeping your free hand in the claw position with your fingers tucked away from the blade of the knife. Tip the cucumber into the bowl with the tomatoes.
• Cut the hard stalk off the lettuces, then cut each lettuce in half and in half again to get four wedges. Working with one lettuce wedge at a time, hold the wedge with your hand in the claw position and chop it into small ribbons - the smaller, the better for this salad. Repeat with the remaining wedges and tip the lettuce into the bowl.
• Snip the cress straight into the bowl using kitchen scissors. Weigh out the pomegranate seeds using the scales and add these to the bowl. Repeat with the mixed seeds. Drizzle over roughly half of the dressing over the salad (you will have some leftover) and toss everything together to coat.