Chetna Makan’s Simple, Vibrant, Vegetarian Feasts

Chetna Makan’s Simple, Vibrant, Vegetarian Feasts
Chetna Makan wants to 'help you feel more confident using veg, and become a little more experimental with pulses.' This summery lentil, mango, and cucumber salad, enlivened with spices, is a great start. Photo by Nassima Rothacker
Crystal Shi
Updated:
In the heat of summer, when mangoes are in season, cookbook author Chetna Makan chops up the raw green fruit to make a refreshing, if unexpected, salad. 
She tosses the tart, crisp flesh with handfuls of red onion, cucumber, carrot, and soaked lentils, which are softened until they retain just a whisper of a crunch. Then she adds the finishing touch that brings it all together: a tadka, or “tempering,” of pungent black mustard seeds and chili flakes warmed in hot oil or ghee, a seasoning technique that sizzles the spices to life, drawing out their oils and full aromas. How’s that for a salad dressing?
Crystal Shi
Crystal Shi
Home and Food Editor
Crystal Shi is the home and food editor for The Epoch Times. She is a journalist based in New York City.
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