Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Kale Bhel Salad (Green Salad with an Indian Twist!)

As you may have already guessed, we are crazy for salads these days! So to make the everyday salads exciting, I make them with a different international flair each day. :) (Check out the Pad Thai Salad) The nice thing about all these salads are that you can prep them ahead of time and assemble at the last minute. 

Kale Bhel salad is as tasty as it is healthy (mostly :-}) with a little addition of Bhel Puri Mix - an Indian snack mix readily available in Indian markets! Any crunchy veggie may be used in this salad. For the dressing, mix fresh lime juice with some green and sweet chutneys. Other greens also may be used in this salad. For a mild salad, remove the core from the hot chile or omit it altogether; if you like it spicy, leave the core and seeds in and/or use more chiles.

Our family loves this salad; when I made the traditional Bhel Puri, it was not difficult to add a few more greens and veggies to make it healthier. If the little addition of the Bhel Mix helps everyone to love a salad and eat more of it, the more power to it!

Green and Sweet chutneys, Bhel mix, etc are available in Indian Markets. You can use Indian brown chick peas or garbanzos; these may be home cooked or canned.

Kale Bhel Salad


4 Servings

Ingredients:

4-6 oz Baby Kale
4-5 leaves Romaine Lettuce
1 wedge Red Cabbage
1 small Red Onion
1 large Carrot
1 Turnip/Jicama
1 medium Cucumber/Zucchini
1 bunch Cilantro
1 Hot green Chile (like Jalapeno or Serrano) (optional)
1 cup cooked Chick Peas, drained
1/4 cup Roasted Peanuts
1 cup Bhel Puri Mix + a little extra for topping
Lime wedges

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh Lime juice
1/4 cup Each, GreenSweet Chutneys

Method:

Wash and trim all the veggies. Thinly slice the kale, romaine, and cabbage into a chiffonade. Thinly slice and chop the red onion. Place in a large bowl.

Grate/shred the carrot and turnip/jicama; add to the bowl. If you prefer, these may be chopped too. I like the different textures of chopped, shredded/grated, etc.

Finely dice the cucumber, finely chop the cilantro, and core and mince the hot chile. Add all the veggies to the bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients and taste; it should be strong tasting - when mixed with the salad, it will be just right.

When ready to serve the salad, mix the prepared veggies with the chick peas, peanuts, Bhel mix, and half the dressing. Mix only what will be eaten as the salad will get soggy if left too long.

Divide the salad among the serving plates or bowls, top with a spoonful of the Bhel mix, and serve immediately. Pass the extra dressing and the lime wedges to squeeze as desired.

Eat & Enjoy!!

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