Hurda Koshimbir| Tender Jowar Salad

Hurda Koshimbir is definitely something you must try out, this winter!

What is hurda?

‘Hurda‘ or ‘ponk‘ refers to tender grains of jowar, a winter speciality and quite a phenomenon in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. We don’t usually get hurda here in Bangalore, but I got lucky this winter – I found fresh and absolutely delicious hurda in Native’s Basket, Electronic City! Today, I am going to share with you all the recipe for the Hurda Koshimbir I made with it.

Head to this post of mine for more details on hurda and for the step-by-step instructions on how to use it in a lovely khichdi.

Delicious Hurda Koshimbir

What is Koshimbir?

Koshimbir refers to the Maharashtrian way of making a salad, which uses roasted and crushed peanuts, grated coconut, chillies and lemon juice, among other things. It is a riot of flavours!

While hurda is typically eaten raw, on its own, or with a drizzle of lemon juice, salt and sev, I find that it lends itself beautifully to salad as well. I decided to make a Maharashtrian-style koshimbir with the hurda, and it did taste spectacular. It was a treat to the tastebuds, and was much liked by everyone at home.

The fresh tender jowar provided a wonderful bite to the salad. They had a natural sweetness to them, which went very well with the other spicy-tangy ingredients used.

Millets like jowar are a great addition to one’s diet, thanks to the many health benefits they possess. This Multigrain Dosa recipe by my fellow food blogger Narmadha uses two types of millets along with assorted grains – it’s super nutritious! I’m definitely going to try it out. 😊

How to make Hurda Koshimbir

Here is how I went about it.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1. 1-1/2 cups of hurda

2. 1 medium-sized carrot

3. 1 small onion

4. Salt to taste

5. 2 green chillies

6. 1/4 cup peanuts

7. 3 tablespoons fresh grated coconut

8. 2 teaspoons powdered sugar or to taste

9. 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander

10. Juice of 1 lemon or to taste

Method:

Top left and right: Steps 1 and 2, Centre left and right: Steps 3 and 4, Bottom left and right: Steps 5 and 6

1. Wash the hurda well under running water. Place in a colander and let all the water drain out.

2. Transfer the washed and drained hurda to a wide vessel. Add about 2 tablespoons of water. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Allow 2 whistles on high flame. Let the pressure release naturally.

3. In the meantime, dry roast the peanuts on medium flame till they are crisp, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the roasted peanuts to a plate and allow them to cool down completely.

4. When the pressure from the cooker has completely gone down, get the cooked hurda out. Drain out any residual water from it. Let it cool down completely, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add in salt and sugar and mix well.

5. Peel and grate the carrot medium-thick. Add to the mixing bowl.

6. Peel the onion and chop finely. Add to the mixing bowl.

Top left and right: Step 7, Centre left and right: Steps 8 and 9, Bottom left and right: Steps 10 and 11

7. Add the finely chopped coriander and grated coconut to the mixing bowl.

8. Chop the green chillies very finely. Add to the mixing bowl.

9. Coarsely crush the roasted peanuts in a small mixer jar. Do not make a fine powder. Add this to the mixing bowl.

10. Add lemon juice as needed.

11. Mix everything well together. Your Hurda Koshimbir is ready. Serve immediately.

Tips & Tricks

1. You can use raw, uncooked hurda to make this salad, especially if it is very fresh and tender. I pressure-cooked it because we prefer it that way. Alternatively, you could also lightly saute the hurda in a heavy-bottomed pan.

2. Allow the cooked hurda to cool down completely, before using it to make the salad.

3. Adjust the quantity of salt, sugar, lemon juice and green chillies as per personal taste preferences.

4. Honey or jaggery powder can be used in place of the powdered sugar I have used here.

5. Mince/chop the green chillies really finely.

6. The peanuts should be well roasted, for a flavourful salad. Remember to crush the roasted peanuts only coarsely and not into a fine powder.

7. Do not let the Hurda Koshimbir sit around for too long after preparation. Serve immediately.

8. You can also temper this Hurda Koshimbir with a little mustard sputtered in some oil + asafoetida. I haven’t, here.

9. Use very fresh, tender hurda for best results.

10. This is a completely vegetarian recipe, and vegan as well. It is perfectly suited to those following a plant-based diet. The above recipe is entirely gluten-free too.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!