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Indian

Kachumber

Vegetarian

कचूमर · kachūmar

A finely diced salad of cucumber, tomato and onion with green chilli, coriander, lemon juice and roasted cumin — the crisp, sharp side served with almost every Indian meal.

Kachumber is an Indian salad, ready in about 15 minutes and made with cucumber, tomato and red onion. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
Kachumber: chopped tomato, onion, green chilli and coriander salad on a white plate
Photo: Miansari66 / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min
Total
15 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
34

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Dice the cucumber (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and onion into small, even cubes about 5 mm across. Seeding the cucumber and tomato keeps the salad from turning watery.

    An onion being chopped on a board
    How it looks · Photo: Christina & Peter on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Put the vegetables in a bowl with the green chilli (opens in a new tab), coriander and mint (opens in a new tab).

  3. Step 3

    Just before serving, add the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), roasted cumin (opens in a new tab), chilli powder and salt and toss well. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
India · Commonly attributedEaten across India in many local forms; no single state of origin.Also popular in Pakistan, Kenya, TanzaniaMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Side dishes
Cooking method
No-cook, Raw
Taste
fresh, tangy, refreshing, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Cucumber · Tomato · Red onion · Green chilli · Coriander leaves · Lemon juice

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

34 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 174 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 14%
  • Carbohydrate 79%
  • Fat 7%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy34 kcal20 kcal
Protein1.4 g0.8 g
Carbohydrate8 g4.6 g
Net carbohydrate6.5 g3.7 g
Sugars4.5 g2.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.4 g0.8 g
Fat0.3 g0.2 g
Saturated fat——
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium445 mg256 mg
Salt equivalent1.1 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
308 mg
Calcium
28 mg
Iron
0.7 mg
Magnesium
21 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
33 µg
Vitamin C
19 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cayenne / chilli powder, mint.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Dry-roast cumin seeds in a pan until a shade darker, then crush them — the smoky aroma is what makes kachumber taste finished.

Common mistakes

  • Salting too early pulls water out of the cucumber and tomato and leaves a puddle in the bowl.

Serve with

  • Serve beside biryani, dal-chawal, parathas or grilled kebabs.

Storage

  • Undressed vegetables keep 1 day refrigerated; dress just before serving.

Variations

  • Parsi kachumber: Onion-heavy, sharpened with vinegar and a pinch of sugar instead of lemon; the classic partner for dhansak.
  • With radish or carrot: Add finely diced mooli or carrot for extra crunch.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Cucumber, peeled if waxy, seeded and finely diced1 piece · 300 g
  • Tomato, seeded and finely diced2 piece · 240 g
  • Red onion, finely diced1 piece · 110 g
Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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