Kakdi Koshimbir | Khamang Kakdi

Kakdi Koshimbir or Khamang Kakdi is an easy Maharashtrian style cucumber salad. This simple and refreshing salad makes a great side with the main meal and can be eaten during fasting too. 

10 ingredients and 10 mins are all you need to make this kakdi chi koshimbir recipe.

Varan bhaat,  batata bhaji, kakdi koshimbir with some pickle, was a staple meal growing up! To date, it is THE comfort food!!

This cucumber koshimbir is absolutely refreshing, delicious and so simple to make.

It has the right balance of sweet and tangy and that crunch from peanuts is my favorite!!

If you love cucumber, here are two other favorite recipes for the summer season- Cucumber Thalipeeth and cucumber cream cheese sandwich.

What is Koshimbir

Koshimbir is basically a salad in Marathi made of finely chopped veggies like cucumber, onions, tomatoes, carrot.

It is tempered with simple tadka of cumin seeds, hing, and/or curry leaves which gives it a unique flavor, and at times yogurt is added too.

In this post, I'm sharing my favorite koshimbir of all, kakdi chi koshimbir which is a Maharashtrian style cucumber salad without yogurt.

Kakdi chi koshimbir is a simple cooling salad made of cucumber, roasted peanuts flavored with cumin seeds ghee tadka (tempering), green chili for spice, and balanced with salt, sugar, and lemon juice.

It is a popular side dish and often served in Maharashtrian thali or everyday meals especially during summers due to the cooling effect of cucumber.

All the ingredients are safe to consume during fasts and festivals so you will find cucumber koshimbir part of most festive thalis like Gudi Padwa or Ganpati Festival and can be eaten during Navratri fasts too.

So let's see how to make Kakdi koshimbir recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

Cucumber - I've used regular big cucumbers available here in the USA. But if you can find it, use English, Persian or mini cucumber for this recipe.

I generally peel the skin off but you can leave it on too especially if its thin.

Roasted peanuts - these add a nice crunch to the recipe so highly recommend adding them. I prefer roughly crushed but you can ground the peanuts fine too.

Flavor - the three basic trios, salt, sugar, and lemon juice balance the flavors and bring this recipe together.

Green chili - this adds a slight heat to the recipe. I prefer just making a slight vertical slit halfway through that way it's not too spicy and I can pick it out when needed. I use Thai chili but serrano or jalapeno will work too.

Cilantro - for fresh herby flavor and some nice visual contrast to the recipe.

Tempering - Don't skip this as it adds a nice flavor to the recipe. You just need ghee, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Highly recommend making it in ghee as that adds tons of flavor.

Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients. 

Step by Step Method

1 - Peel the cucumbers, you can skip it too. Cut and discard the ends, and dice them into small pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. 

2 - In a pestle mortar, or food processor roughly crush the peanuts to a coarse consistency. Keep aside. 

3 - Heat the tadka pan or small pan on medium heat, add ghee to it. Once the ghee is hot add the cumin seeds and hing to it. Mix well.

4 - Let it sizzle for 1 min or so and then take it off the heat. Be careful not to burn it.

5 - Pour the tempering over the chopped cucumbers. 

6 and 7 - Add ground peanuts, green chili, salt, sugar, lemon juice and cilantro

8 - Mix well, and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestion

Serve Kakdi Koshimbir as a side or salad with your everyday meals.

It can also be made for festive occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi and Gudi Padwa and while fasting.

I love to munch on it as a snack too on a hot summer day. Its very light, refreshing and cooling.

Recipe Tips

Cucumbers:  Persian cucumber, mini cucumbers, or English cucumber work really well for this recipe since they have fewer seeds, more crunch, and release less water.

They also have thin skin so feel free to skip peeling. Having said that regular cucumber can be used too.

Peanuts:  they add that must-needed crunch to this salad so highly recommend adding them. Can't imagine this cucumber salad without it.

Allergic to peanuts: replace them with a choice of nuts like walnuts, pistachios, or almonds. 

Make it nut-free: add seeds like sunflower, pumpkin seeds, or sesame seeds.

Prefer spicy: add diced chili, I prefer to just make a vertical slit that way it gets easier to pick it out and not that spicy for kids. Or skip the chili to avoid heat. 

You can also add it to the tadka if you cannot tolerate it raw.

Tadka: Make the tempering in ghee as that adds tons of flavor. Skip ghee to make it vegan and use neutral oil instead. Skip hing to make it gluten-free. You can also add curry leaves to tadka if you like.

Serving: Add salt and sugar just before serving to prevent the cucumbers from releasing water. Likewise, add peanuts just before serving to prevent them from getting soggy.

Frequently asked questions 

More Side recipes to pair with meals

Hope you enjoy this Kakdi Koshimbir recipe !! If you give this recipe a try, please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️ ! You can also follow me on Facebook | Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!