Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad

A sweet and spicy cucumber salad with vibrant flavours of pomegranate molasses and green chillies plus topped with roasted peanuts and fried onions is a great addition to the summer table.

There are only a few salad recipes on the blog as I don't make them often. But this sweet, spicy and sour cucumber salad as another clever way to use up your pomegranate molasses.

Ingredients

There is no oil in this recipe. The salad dressing is made without olive oil.

• mini shallots
• garlic cloves
• green chillies
• pomegranate molasses
• lime juice
• soy sauce
• fresh coriander leaves with stem
• cucumber
• cherry tomatoes
• roasted peanuts
• fried shallots
• pomegranate arils

How to make it?

The original salad recipe uses tamarind concentrate which I replaced it with pomegranate molasses. My favourite part is the sweet, sour, spicy dressing without oil and plenty of chillis and roasted peanuts! We love it!

This salad recipe comes together in one large bowl. Add the sliced shallots, garlic, green chillies, pomegranate molasses, lime juice, and soy sauce to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the freshly chopped coriander stems, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes or strawberries and salt. Toss everything until cucumber slices are coated with the dressing. Transfer the salad to the serving platter and top with chopped coriander leaves, fried shallots and roasted peanuts. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

Some of the ingredients can be substituted without compromising the taste.

• mini shallots: you can use red onions or shallots.
• pomegranate molasses: You can replace this with some tamarind concentrate.
• lime juice or lemon juice.
• cherry tomatoes: you can use regular tomatoes or strawberries.
• roasted peanuts: you can replace with melon seeds. if using salted peanuts, then make sure you don't add too much salt.
• fried shallots: you can use fried onions.

Storage

Mix the salad only close to the serving time. Ay, leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for a day or two. But the flavour is best if consumed the same day.

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad

A sweet and spicy cucumber salad with vibrant flavours of pomegranate molasses and green chillies plus topped with roasted peanuts and fried onions.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time0 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine: South Asian

Keyword: pomegranate molasses recipes, sweet and spicy cucumber salad

Servings: 2 people

Author: Famidha Ashraf

Ingredients

• 4 mini shallots thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 medium-sized cucumber cut diagonal or roundels
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved (see notes)
• salt to taste
• fistful Fresh coriander leaves with tender stems
• ¼ cup peanuts dry roasted
• 2 tablespoons fried shallots optional but recommended

Instructions

• Add shallot, garlic, green chillies, pomegranate molasses, lime juice, and soy sauce to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the chopped coriander stems and mix well.
  4 mini shallots, 2 garlic cloves, 2 green chillies, 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Close to the serving time, add cucumbers and tomatoes or strawberries, season with salt, and toss until everything is nicely coated with dressing.
  3 medium-sized cucumber, ½ cup cherry tomatoes, salt to taste
• Transfer the salad to the serving platter and top with chopped coriander leaves, fried shallots and roasted peanuts. Serve immediately.
  fistful Fresh coriander leaves, ¼ cup peanuts, 2 tablespoons fried shallots

Notes

You can replace cherry tomatoes with strawberries

Recipe adapted from bon appetit.