Salad Days are here, again!

Papaya power salad

Ingredients

• 250 gm raw papaya, cut into thin juliennes
• 3 to 4 green
• chillies, chopped
• 1½ tsp oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Juice of one lemon
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 5 to 6 curry leaves
• ¼ turmeric
• powder
• A pinch of asafoetida/hing
• Salt to taste

Method
Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.Once they splutter, add the papaya, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, green chilli and mix well. Cover and cook for five minutes. Add the lemon juice, mix well and serve.

Barley and kidney bean salad

Barley and kidney bean salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup barley
• ¼ cup kidney beans
• ½ cup cherry tomato halved
• ½ cup finely chopped green
• bell peppers
• 3 to 4 jalapeno
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 bunch coriander, chopped

Method
Soak and cook barley and kidney beans, separately. Drain the water and rinse both under cold water.Toss all ingredients together in a salad bowl and mix well. Lastly add barley and kidney beans. Garnish with coriander and serve.

Summery salad

Summery salad

Ingredients

• 2 mangoes, diced
• ¼ bell pepper
• (any colour), diced
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• A few leaves of lettuce, hand torn
• 1 pomegranate, deseeded
• 1 tbsp fennel leaves,
• finely chopped
• 1 sprig mint
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to season

Method
In a salad bowl, muddle the fennel and mint leaves, mix with the lemon juice. Mix all ingredients together.Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold.

Mediterranean pasta salad

Ingredients for the salad

• 250 gm wheat pasta
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 to 8 olives
• 1 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• ½ red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• for the dressing
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp dried/fresh oregano, minced
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly-cracked
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Method
Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together until combined. Set aside.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of water and drain. In a large mixing bowl add the pasta,  cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and red onion. Drizzle the dressing evenly on top.  Toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.Serve immediately, garnished with extra feta and black pepper if desired.

Crunchy black rice salad

Crunchy black rice salad

Ingredients for the salad

• ½ cup of black rice
• ½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 10 mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• Handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, gently sliced (as they bruise)
• 1 ear of corn, shucked
• for the dressing
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• Dash of sesame oil
• ½ tbsp of fresh lime juice
• ¼ tsp of minced ginger
• 1 tsp of sugar
• Oil for cooking
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
• for the garnish
• 1 red chilli, cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and finely slice
• Handful roasted peanuts

Method
Rinse the rice under cold water. Put it in a pot of water, bring it to a boil and simmer until the rice is tender.Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the onion until it caramelises. Add the mushrooms and cook till they are softened and coloured. Pull the mushroom and onions out of the pan with some tongs and place them on a draining paper. Set aside.To prepare the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk.Add the cooked black rice and all the salad ingredient to the dressing and mix everything together.Give the rice a good stir. Sprinkle with the finely sliced chilli.Finally top it up with nuts, just as you are about to serve, so that they remain super crunchy. Serve warm or cold.