Asma's Narangi Salad

Asma's Narangi Salad (Spiced Orange Salad)

Photo by:

Recipes extracted from Monsoon by Asma Khan (DK RED)Photography by Patricia Niven

For a hot, sultry country, India does not have a huge range of salads compared to Mediterranean or Levantine cuisines. This does not mean we do not eat fresh vegetables with our meals – it is usual for a family to have slices of onion, tomatoes, radish, and cucumber on a plate. Sometimes these vegetables are served sprinkled with salt, pepper, and chaat masala or dried mango powder (amchur), with thick wedges of lime for squeezing over. This salad is similar to the idea of combining a mix of vegetables with a zingy, citrussy dressing. It goes well with heavy spicy meats in gravy.

Ingredients

1 tbsp cider vinegar
3 fresh green or red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
800-900g (1 ¾-2lb) large oranges
150g (5 ½ oz) carrots, thinly sliced
200g (7oz) red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Surya Salt
½ tsp freshly ground Aranya Black Pepper
1 tsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp nigella seeds
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
¼ tsp red pepper chilli flakes (optional)

Methods

Place the vinegar in a bowl and add the chillies and garlic. Set aside to infuse.
Cut the oranges to remove the skin and the white pith, then remove the segments. Do this over a plate so you can save any juice that comes out and add that to the salad. Place the segments and any juices in a bowl. Add the sliced carrots and red cabbage.
To the vinegar mixture, add the honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and whisk with a fork. Pour the dressing over the orange salad and mix well. Taste for seasoning.
Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan, then add the nigella seeds. Pour over the salad and stir with a spoon to evenly distribute it through the salad. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander before serving.
The chilli flakes are optional. If you are serving this salad at a party, you could serve them on the side in a bowl and anyone wanting to add more chilli to the salad can do so.