Tropical Mango Salad with Cinnamon-Lime

Prep time: 10 min        Cook Time: Zero        Serves: 2 Summer calls for salads, in this heat, it’s probably the only thing my body asks for. But I was bored of the ‘beet the heat’ recipes, dressy veggies, and ingredients that I’d need to stock for longer. So, I turned to regional dishes for some inspo and landed this perfectly easy, no-cook recipe for a Tropical Mango Salad that features Kosambari (the humble lentil-cucumber-coconut salad). Topping it off with a dressing made of Cinnamon-Lime was a surprise hack - cinnamon brought to mind memories of winter, paired with the iconic, summer zest of lime. Cue me the best of both worlds!  Ingredients

• Mango - Mallika (variety), 1 cup, diced

• Urad Dal / Lentil - ½ cup (split, and pre-soaked)

• Cucumber - ½  cup chopped

• Coriander - ¼ cup finely chopped  

• Green Chilli - 1, finely chopped  

• Coconut - ¼ cup, grated 

• Lime- 1 whole

• Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp

• Olive oil - 3 tsp

• Salt - to taste (optional) Prep for Tropical Mango Salad
  

1. Soak split urad dal (black gram) for two hours before salad making or for 30 minutes in hot water. Make sure they are soft, and not too crunchy.
   

2. Carefully skin the mango and dice into cubes, make sure it’s not too ripe. I’ve used the Mallika variety in this recipe, the same that is recommended for desserts due to its taste. It doesn’t overpower with sweet or sour nor gets too squishy.
   

3. Grate coconut or run it through the blender in short spurts. Roast the grated coconut over low flame till the quantity slightly reduces and the color turns brown.
   

4. Dice up cucumber (seedless, the better) and finely chop a single green chili. You can alternatively use black pepper, but the taste will take away from regional roots.
   

5. Make the dressing on the side using olive oil, lime juice, and cinnamon. You can also add honey and chili flakes to the dressing, but again it would change the taste so approach cautiously! 
   

What your bowl should look like before the toss

Method for Tropical Mango Salad with Cinnamon-Lime

1. Bring all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss thoroughly. Make sure you don’t stab the salad or move it around too much as mangoes tend to get squishy.
   

2. Additional and optional: Temper the whole mix with mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. I’ve skipped that to enhance the mango and lentil flavor. Salt too, similarly, can be added if preferred, although this particular recipe doesn’t call for it.
   

3. Top with a dash of cinnamon, crushed almonds or peanuts when serving. Pair with breads, wine, and cheeses as you would with a leafy salad.  What I like most about this Tropical Mango Salad is the unique flavor; a Cinnamon-lime dressing really makes me wonder what else I can use it with, while the mango shines in every bite with a subtle sweetness. It also helps that I don’t need to turn on the stove at all, just cut up everything pretty and toss together! Summer Staple: The ingredients used do have a science behind them. Kosambari cools the body while Mango is packed with nutrition and vitamins needed to tackle the heat. The coconut detoxes your channels and helps with skin dryness. Isn’t it the perfectly refreshing dish that puts the glow in you?