INDIAN BREAD SALAD

INDIAN BREAD SALAD

Lampedusa Pie, R375, from Bookstorm.co.za, is a delightful cookbook with recipes by Jo’burg-based chef and owner of The Leopard, Andrea Burgener. This delicious, yet unusual, summer salad recipe is the perfect side to your braai

INGREDIENTS

For the bread

  • 250g naan bread, pita or sourdough, torn or cut up the size of Brazil nuts
  • 5T olive oil
  • 1T cumin seeds, ground coarsely in pestle and mortar
  • 1t garam masala (or your own mix of ground spices)
  • Sparse grinding of salt

For the salad

  • 300g cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced or chopped roughly
  • 1 Spanish onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño chilli (or Thai with all seeds removed), thinly slivered
  • 5T olive oil
  • 2T white or red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
  • 1t sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, very finely slivered or mashed up
  • 1 loosely packed cup chopped coriander leaves
  • ½ cup mint leaves, torn just before, plus a handful of extra whole leaves

METHOD

  1. Toss the bread pieces with the olive oil, cumin seeds and garam masala to coat evenly, then fry or bake until golden-brown and crisp (depending on the bread type, you might need less or more oil, just use your judgement). Grind the salt over and toss through.
  2. Put the tomatoes, cucumber, onion (chickpeas if using) and chilli in a big bowl.
  3. Add the cooled croutons.
  4. Mix all the remaining ingredients (i.e. the dressing) in a large jug or similar vessel, then pour over the salad and mix well. If you omit the chickpeas you might want to hold back a little of the dressing; taste and see.
  5. Upturn everything onto a plate and scatter with the whole mint leaves. Eat this with braaied meat or chicken, on top of smashed-up new potatoes or just on its own.

*Yoghurt is almost essential on the side.

(This recipe serves 4 people)