Kosumalli

Kosumalli

5
(1)

Kosumalli / Kosambari / Vada Paruppu / Vada Pappu is a traditional salad in South India made with mung beans and vegetables that are in season in summer. In India, food and festivals go hand in glove. I’m still amazed at the impeccable food sense of our ancestors because foods in these festivals make use of produce that’s usually in season. Kosumalli is one of the offerings made in South India for Lord Rama on his birthday, which is celebrated across India as the festival “Sri Rama Navami”. The other two are Neer Mor and Panagam. Let’s assemble kosumalli salad.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Ingredients

Note: 1 cup = 235 ml

  1. ¼ cup split yellow mung beans 
  2. ¾ cup water
  3. 1 ½ cups cucumber finely diced
  4. 1 cup carrots, grated
  5. ½ cup Totapuri mango (prefered), finely diced or any sweet and sour mango that’s available locally
  6. 1 green chili, finely chopped
  7. 2 Tbsp. cilantro or mint leaves, finely chopped
  8. 3 Tbsp. coconut, grated
  9. ½ – 1 tsp. lemon juice or juice of half a lemon (adjust to your taste)
  10. Salt to taste (¾ tsp. salt)

For tempering

  1. 2 tsp. cooking oil
  2. ½ tsp. mustard seeds 
  3. A pinch of asafoetida 
  4. 1 sprig curry leaves chopped

Asafoetida is common digestive aide. If you don’t have it in your kitchen you may substitute it with a tsp. of chopped ginger

Note: If using mint leaves, skip cilantro and curry leaves

Kitchen Tools

  1. Medium sized bowl
  2. 1 large spoon or salad mixer hands
  3. Grater

PREPARATION (with step-by-step photos)

Step 1: Rinse ¼ cup split yellow mung beans and soak it in ¾ cup water for 2 hours

Mung Beans

Note: Prepare the vegetables for the Kosumalli just when it is time to drain the soaked mung beans

Step 2 – Drain the water from the soaked mun beans and set it in a medium sized bowl

Soaked and drained mung beans

Step 3 – Add 1 ½ cups finely dice cucumbers to the bowl with mung beans

diced cucumbers

Step 4 – Add ½ cup of finely diced mango (preferably Totapuri) or a sweet and sour mango to it

Step 5 – Add 1 cup grated carrots to the bowl with other ingredients

Step 6 – Add 3 Tbsp. of grated coconut to the salad. If using fresh coconut, grate it using a regular coconut grater or in a food processor. If using frozen shredded/grated coconuts make sure to thaw it to room temperature before adding it to the salad

Grated Coconut

Step 7 – Add 2 Tbsp of finely chopped cilantro or mint to it

Mint

Step 8: Set a seasoning pan on medium heat and add 2 tsp. cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add ½ tsp. Mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. To this, add a pinch of asafoetida and one sprig curry leaves separated from the stem and turn off the heat. Add this tempering to the bowl

Step 9 – Add juice from half a lemon and sprinkle salt to taste (¾ tsp. salt). Give this it a thorough mix using a pair of salad mixer hands or a large spoon

Step 10: Enjoy your sublime Kosumalli 😋

Note: Savor it within half a day or set it in the refrigerator for later. The mung beans will start to become slimy if left in room temperature for long


Sri Rama Navami, is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Lord Rama, one of the most popular deities in Hindu religion. The legend is that Lord Vishnu has so far taken nine avatars (incarnations) in this universe (the final avatar is yet to come). Lord Rama was the seventh avatar. He was born as the Prince of Ayodhya to King Dasharatha on Shukla Paksha Navami (the ninth day of the New Moon as per the Hindu month of Chaitra (March-April). Across India, many Hindus celebrate this festival for nine days, starting from the New Moon day till the ninth day which is the birthday of Lord Rama. These nine days are also called Vasanta Navaratri (nava=nine, ratri=nights, Vasanta=spring), as opposed to the more popularly observed nine days in autumn (Sharada Navaratri). During these nine days in March/April, devotees read the Hindu epic, “The Ramayana” and observe a special diet that varies by region. Usually, the diet eliminates Rajasic (stimulant) foods such as caffeinated drinks, spicy foods, eggs, and pungent foods such as onion and garlic. In today’s modern world, we fashionably call this a Spring detox😋

Kosumalli salad has all the ingredients to help one complete this detox regimen and prepare us for  the hot summer ahead. If this salad is not made well, it can be a turn-off. The foodie in me hates it even today when it’s served in weddings in India because caterers add this to the menu for the sake of increasing the number of items but pay zero attention to the recipe. They just add soaked mung beans with a little trace of grated carrots, salt and seasoning. The end result is a sloppy, tasteless mess that is usually wasted. A little effort from a chef to load it with vegetables and fruits can make this salad flavorsome. Mung beans are used in many plant based protein supplements and egg replacements. If you are looking for something light to give you a punch of nutrition, this salad should definitely be on your list of go-to recipes😊


Kosumalli

Recipe by Sublime RecipesCourse: SaladsCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

2

hours 
Cook time

5

minutes
Ready In

2

hours 

5

minutes

Note: 1 Cup = 235 ml

What You Will Need

  • ¼ cup split yellow mung beans 

  • ¾ cup water

  • 1 ½ cups cucumber finely diced

  • 1 cup carrots, grated

  • ½ cup Totapuri mango (prefered), finely diced or any sweet and sour mango that’s available locally

  • 1 green chili, finely chopped

  • 2 Tbsp. cilantro or mint leaves, finely chopped

  • 3 Tbsp. coconut, grated

  • ½ – 1 tsp. lemon juice or juice of half a lemon (adjust to your taste)

  • Salt to taste (¾ tsp. salt)

  • Fore Tempering
  • 2 tsp. cooking oil

  • ½ tsp. mustard seeds 

  • A pinch of asafoetida 

  • 1 sprig curry leaves chopped

  • Kitchen Tools
  • Medium sized bowl

  • 1 large spoon or salad mixer hands

  • Grater

Preparation

  • Rinse ¼ cup split yellow mung beans and soak it in ¾ cup water for 2 hours

    Note Prepare the vegetables for the Kosumalli salad just when it is time to drain the soaked mung beans
  • Drain the water from the soaked mun beans and set it in a medium sized bowl
  • Add 1 ½ cups finely dice cucumbers to the bowl with mung beans
  • Add ½ cup of finely diced mango (preferably Totapuri) or a sweet and sour mango to it
  • Add 1 cup grated carrots to the bowl with other ingredients
  • Add 3 Tbsp. of grated coconut to the salad. If using fresh coconut, grate it using a regular coconut grater or in a food processor. If using frozen shredded/grated coconuts make sure to thaw it to room temperature before adding it to the salad
  • Add 2 Tbsp of finely chopped cilantro or mint to it
  • Set a seasoning pan on medium heat and add 2 tsp. cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add ½ tsp. Mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. To this, add a pinch of asafoetida and one sprig curry leaves separated from the stem and turn off the heat. Add this tempering to the bowl
  • Add juice from half a lemon and sprinkle salt to taste (¾ tsp. salt). Give this it a thorough mix using a pair of salad mixer hands or a large spoon
  • Enjoy your sublime kosumalli alone or on the side😋

    Note: Savor it within half a day or set it in the refrigerator for later. The mung beans will start to become gooey when left in room temperature for long

Thank you for stopping by. If you’ve tried this recipe, I would love to hear from you. Please add your comments below and / or rate this recipe. Your feedback will help me improve and share better recipes with you.

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4 Comments

  1. Felt refreshed to see the recipe with beautiful pictures Aparna.

  2. I’m very fond of this salad and got re inspired to make it more often with your lovely presentation 😊.

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