Sunday, March 25, 2012

Fast and Snappy Fresh Peanut and Radish Salad


   It seems that every April I have to remind myself that while I'm waiting for more and more of the fruits and vegetables of Spring and Summer to arrive, I need to take advantage of what's blooming and budding all around me. I also go looking for cheap, and it's great and good friend, easy. Maybe it's the time of year when I just don't want to work too hard. After all, the clocks have been set back and I'm only now catching up . Every now and then it's helpful to find something that everyone likes and that can be put together easily. That's where the radish and peanut salad comes in.

   Radishes don't seem to be a big part of the American diet. Other cultures seem to enjoy them more.  I grew up eating them as part of big Italian family dinners where antipasti always featured them along with pickled pigs feet and various olives and other charcuterie. And if you've never had fresh French breakfast radishes with unsalted butter and a  crusty loaf of fresh bread, you're missing a real treat.

   Radish eating isn't just confined to European food. Indian cuisine enjoys them also, where they are the stars of a number of refreshing, tasty salads. A great way to get any non or novice radish eaters in the household into radish appreciation, is to pair radishes with something known and popular. I'm looking at you, peanut. When you want something fast and fresh and tasty, get a bunch of radishes and a handful of fresh roasted peanuts and you've got salad.
   

Radish and Peanut Salad



Here's What You Need:

1/2 lb of radishes
1 Tbs of vegetable oil (coconut oil is great)
1/4 tsp of cumin seed
1/4 tsp black mustard seed
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1/4 tsp of salt
1 Tbs of lemon juice
2/3 cup of chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

Here's What To Do:

Chop the peanuts and set them aside.


Wash the radishes and remove the tops and tips.

Cut them in half and then in half again, quartering them.
Heat the vegetable or coconut oil in a small skillet.
When the oil is hot, add in 1/4 tsp of mustard seed and 1/4 tsp of cumin seed.
When the mustard seeds start to pop, add in 1/4 tsp of turmeric and 1/4 tsp of salt.
Take the pan off the heat and add in 1 Tbs of lemon juice.
Mix the oil and spices together well and let the "dressing" cool.
Take the radishes and the peanuts and blend them together well.


Pour the cooled oil and spices into the radish and peanut mixture.


Blend everything together well and serve it up.


   Crunchy, spicy and nutty with a nice little kick of mustard seed and lemon to make things fresh. This is a great little side salad that works with anything from an Indian dinner to a grilled cheese sandwich or burger. Fast cheap and under your control. Try radishes, they're popping up all over the place right now.

   Coming up next, a tart, sweet rice dish made with fresh green mango. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori 

4 comments :

  1. Something like this might put radishes more on the map here in the U.S.!

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are very much like the Maharashtrian recipe for Kakdichi koshimbir..Great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great recipe, I would like to try it for my kids and I think they'll love them. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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