Tara Deshpande Tennebaum's book reveals the 'ideal dressing' for a salad

Tara Deshpande Tennebaum CourtesyPenguin Random BooksSalads shoulder a big responsibility A salad must sometimes act as a palate cleanser sometimes beef up a lighter meal and sometimes just be the fresh green part of an eating experience In India salads are becoming more essential to everyday eating While our traditional and delicious raitas koshimbris and crudites work well with curries and kebabs the more healthconscious global gourmets crave more options As in the West where salads are entire meals meant for a quick energizing lunch or a complete dinner for a family India too is looking at single onedish meals that working women can put together without too much fussThe structure of a salad needs some tweaking to survive Indias humidity and ensure it is fresh and hearty when you are ready to eat it In short think out of the box Take all the ingredients you cook with and uncook them Instead of a cooked ash gourd sabzi shred the vegetable into spaghetti like noodles and serve with a warm dressing of olive oil and garlic Instead of the usual pecans and pine nuts use local chironji and red pumpkin seeds Go a step further and instead of the usual balsamic vinegar explore the huge variety of souring agents we have in Indiamdashbilimbi kokum and vatamba are just a few India is a great country for inexpensive coldpressed oils of every varietymdashflaxseed mustard coconut and more Instead of imported cranberries consider the local dried karaunda or beautiful dried Kashmiri apricots Make salads a byword for taste health economy and funVindaloo SaladFor the Salad8 large eggs at room temperature1frac12 cups Goa rice washed and drained1 cup finely sliced scallions4 tbsp sliced pickled onions4 tsp crispy garlic4 tsp crispy fried onions4 rashers bacon finely chopped1frac12 cups finely chopped redplum tomatoesfrac12 tbsp refined oilfrac12 tsp white vinegarA pinch of saltFor the Dressing4 tbsp vegetable oilfrac12 tbsp freshly ground redchilli paste or more to taste1 tbsp red wine vinegarJuice of frac12 limefrac12 tsp jaggery or to tasteMethodWhisk together the ingredients for the dressing and refrigerate overnightPut the oil in a large saucepan and sauteacute the bacon until crisp Add the Goa rice and stir well Add enough water to cover the rice Cover the saucepan and cook until tenderHeat water in a deep saucepan about 3ndash4 inches deep on high flame Add the white vinegar and a pinch of salt and coddle each egg until just cooked the yolk should be runny Optionally you can use an egg poaching panDivide the tomatoes between four breakfast soup or pasta bowls Ladle the rice over the tomatoes Make a well in the centre of every mound of rice Drain and gently plop the eggs into the middle of each plate in the wells of riceShake the dressing and taste for seasoning Adjust if required Drizzle the dressing over every plate Top with the crispy garlic scallions and pickled onions Serve hotChicken korma SaladFor the Salad3 cups chopped boneless skinless leftover chicken piecesfrac14 cup celery with leaves very finely choppedfrac14 cup dried sweetened berries like chanya mor karaunda ber or cranberriesfrac14 cup unsalted roasted cashew pieces1 red onion sliced thinly into ringsfrac12 cup light cream1 teaspoon red chilli hot sauce or to tasteFor the Dressing2 tbsp saffron oil frac14 cup vegetable oil1inch turmeric root1 tsp garlic minced1 tsp ginger root fresh grated1 tsp coriander seeds roasted lightly pounded1 tsp cumin seeds roasted lightly pounded1 tsp red chilli flakes crushedJuice of frac12 limefrac14 tsp sugar1 tbsp tomato pasteMethodCombine all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar Shake well and refrigerate overnightRemove from the fridge and strain Discard the strained bits and piecesWhisk the dressing into the light cream Toss the remaining ingredients for the salad togetherSpoon the dressing over the chicken and toss again Use only as much dressing as required to lightly coat the salad Stir well and adjust the seasoning if requiredGarnish with celery leaves and cashew pieces Serve cold with melba toast or crackersExcerpted with permission from An Indian Sense of Salad by Tara Deshpande Tennebaum published by Penguin Random House IndiaCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go