It is a crunchy, no-cook salad made with soaked mung lentils, grated coconut, juicy carrots, fresh coriander, lime juice and simple pantry spices. It is sweet, tangy and spicy all at once! This salad comes together without much effort and just as this carrots and chia salad recipe tastes great cold or at room temperature. Love salads? Me too! What is your favourite salad? Do let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.
Ingredients for the carrot salad recipe
We all know that lentils and pulses are good for health and this clever recipe has lentils, veggies and spices all in good proportions to make it delicious and healthy.
Mung lentils: Use the regular, yellow lentils.
Coconut: We require grated coconut. Fresh or frozen coconut works best. I do not recommend using desiccated coconut for this recipe. Desiccated coconut works in those recipes (such as this sautéed beetroot) where there is some cooking/steaming involved as this will allow the coconut to “bloom”.
Green chilli: I love the flavour of green chilli. I use green chilli in this recipe more for the flavour than the heat. Use a mild one. Not a fan of chilli? No worries! Skip it.
Lime or lemon?: I would say lime. If you have read my article about souring agents, you will know that I love the intense tanginess of limes. Lemon juice will work well too.
Fresh cilantro: Use only the leaves and not the stems. This being a South Indian recipe, you may use curry leaves (finely chopped), however, I prefer not to.
Making this easy carrot and lentil salad
Come, let’s make this delicious salad.
Step 1: Begin by soaking the lentils in water. But before that, wash them in water 2 -3 times - till the water runs clear. Now soak moong dal for 1 hour.
Step 2: While the lentils are soaking, grate the carrot. I use a box grater for this.
Step 3: Finely chop the green chili and cilantro.
Step 4: Drain all the water after the lentils have soaked for 1 hour.
Step 5: In a mixing bowl, add the grated carrot, chopped green chili and fresh cilantro. Add the drained lentils, salt, coconut and ground black pepper. Add the juice of a lime. Mix well.
Mum’s top tip: Mix and massage the salad with your hand. It will taste even more delicious!
The salad is ready for it. If you have the time, let the salad rest for 30 minutes. This will allow the juices to mingle and enhance the flavours.
Pro tip: If you plan on having this salad later, do not add the salt in just yet. Add the salt a few minutes before serving. This will keep the salad crunchy and juicy!
Storing this salad
This moong salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I find that the salad tastes even better after a day or two! I love having this salad in the fridge as a handy side to a meal or as a snack on its own when hunger pangs hit. It is good for any time of the day! If you have made this easy carrot salad recipe, please take a moment to leave a comment and a rating below. This will make me super happy and motivate me to create more good content for you! You can also engage with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram xx Padma
📖 Recipe
Disclosure: The nutritional information is calculated using an online calculator and is based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionists’ advice. Changing the quantities and cooking technique will alter the nutritional calculations.
