Summer Salads

A salad is primarily a light or a portion of an entire meal, which can be made with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian ingredients. Salads are best prepared when the ingredients are raw or partially cooked or steamed, tossed in with mild seasoning like freshly ground black pepper, crushed garlic, rock salt and olive oil. There are several types of salad:

The term green or garden salad is used when we use green leafy vegetables like lettuce or spinach, torn into small portions, and kept as the base or tossed with a variety of fresh veggies.

A lettuce salad is a special type of salad that is relished in winter and spring, that is made of sliced lettuce, spring onions, fresh dill, and dressed with salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and red wine, vinegar or lemon juice. A dinner salad is a small portion of salad with no meat is known as dinner salad. A non-vegetarian salad would comprise of meat, eggs, chicken, tuna and prawns. One of the most popular salads in the world are Caesar salad, Cobb salad and Greek salad. Nina Modgil, a Russian and English translator shares a couple of summer salads.

Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• Spinach – 2-3 small bunches
• Boiled eggs – 2-3 nos.
• Cucumber – 1 small finely chopped
• Mayonnaise – as per taste
• Curd – according to taste
• Salt – according to taste
• Crushed pepper corns – according to taste
• Crushed garlic – 3 nos.

Method

• Clean the spinach properly and then coarsely chop them.
• Cut the boiled eggs in cubes, or it is okay if you mash them.
• Mix the spinach, boiled eggs, cucumber, curd and mayonnaise (you can use either or both), salt and crush garlic.
• After you mix the ingredients well, place in the refrigerator.
• Serve chilled.

Beetroot Salad

Ingredients

• Boiled beetroots – 2 medium size
• Garlic flakes – 5 nos. finely chopped or grated
• Crushed walnut – ½ a cup
• Raisins – ½ a cup
• Mayonnaise – as per taste
• Salt – as per taste

Method

• Chop or mash the boiled beetroot.
• Mix all the ingredients together in a salad bowl.
• Keep in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

For the in-flight magazine ‘Symplifly’ of Kingfisher Deccan, May 2008 issue.