Salaad (to go with curry)

I have agreed to let us have curry ready meals from the supermarket, and even I have to admit that these are usually very good these days. However, they need improving. I’m adding a dollop of thick yoghurt and some spicy mixed pickle (I like Ahmed Mixed Pickle in Oil, which comes from the local Pakistani butcher).  On the side I am serving this salad, from Madhur Jaffrey. It's not a spelling mistake by the way - Salaad is what her family called it.

140g cucumber, peeled and diced

7 large cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 large shallot, sliced thinly

½ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp lime juice

I adore Madhur Jaffrey. I recently found a first edition of “An Invitation to Indian Cookery” for next to nothing. I love that the author biography focuses on her life as an actress, rather than as a cook.

So – again no recipe really – just combine everything. Ideally the cumin seeds should be roasted whole in a hot dry frying pan and then ground. A mandolin will really speed the chopping up, though it’s raining and I quite like chopping vegetables.

My one addition to this is a few long thin slices of carrot. I also think the small crook cucumbers will work best as they are less watery, but not essential.

The boy is accustomed to salads with most meals and seems to like that this one is quite different, though that could be down to the Cobra beer.