A Traditional Bale Yelae (Banana Leaf) Meal

If you are from South India or have visited the southern states, then you may be familiar with Kosumbari. This South Indian side salad is served at traditional weddings or religious events. We call it kosumbari in the state of Karnataka, where I hail from. People from Tamil Nadu, our neighboring state, call it Kosumalli.

I have fond recollections of sitting cross-legged on the floor at various puje (prayer) and maduve (marriage) ceremonies (in the later years, we graduated to tables and chairs), waiting in anticipation for the baale yelae (banana leaf) to be laid out in front of me. The number of food items is mind-boggling, but if you are mindful of the carbs and desserts, the meal is very well balanced.

Baale Yele Oota (Banana Leaf Feast)

First, the leaf is laid out with the pointy side turned to the left. You get a few minutes to deftly rinse and wipe the leaf. Next, you will see the servers come along in a steady bee-line and fill the banana leaf with food items. Kosumbari is one of the first to be served. Usually, a couple of different varieties of kosumbari are served, along with pickle, salt, dry vegetable curries and a tiny bit of payasam (milk-based dessert). Finally, rice, hot ghee and some plain dal heralds the end of the first serving.

Hold your horses! It is not yet time to dig in. You wait for an elder member to cry out “Govinda, Govinda”. Now it is time to dig in.

(Almost) Zero Prep

While most of my friends didn’t touch their raw kosumbari, I’d dive right into them. For some reason, rice didn’t hold a fascination for me. After all, I ate it every day. But the delicate salads were what I craved for. The mix of spicy, crunchy, tangy and juicy just sent my taste buds into overdrive. Now, I am thrilled to be able to bring this recipe to you!

I love this Kosumbari because it needs minimal prep work. It is one of those real easy recipes you can turn out with basic kitchen staples. You don’t have to worry about any cooking, with the exception of the quick tempering of spices. The only ahead-of-time planning you will need, is the soaking of split mung (hesaru bele) for about 30-45 minutes. It is super easy to grate carrots and cucumbers if you have a small food processor.

If you want to serve a typical South Indian meal, you can serve Kosumbari along with Bisi Bele Baath, Crunchy Baked Plantain Chips, Mooli Raita, Pepper Rasam, Cabbage & Green Beans Poriyal, Cabbage Wada, Tart Spicy Pickled Cauliflower, and Curd (Yogurt) Rice. How about dessert? Pick from Sweet Pongal (Huggi), Gasagase (Poppy Seed) Payasa, Akki-Haalu (Rice Kheer) Payasa or Hesaru Bele (Split Mung) Payasa.

Easy Sides & Salads

Do you love easy-to-put-together sides and salads? I have some of my favorites featured for you:

• Zesty Carrot-Garbanzo Usli
• Balsamic Caprese
• Spicy, Tangy, Sprouts & Carrot Salad
• Tangy-ly Spicy-Sweet Jicama Salad
• Blistered Shishito Peppers
• Baba Ghanoush
• Spiced Purple Sweet Potato-Cauliflower Bake
• Pesarattu Kura
• Hummus
• Guacamole
• Baked Okra
• Sautéed Asparagus

Do you love our posts and recipes? We’d LOVE to see your creations so click a photo and tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #healthyindian3 and please give a star (★) rating below. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube & Tumblr for healthy, easy and delicious recipes and lifestyle tips.

*There could be affiliate links in this blog. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Delicious Carrot-Cucumber Kosumbari Salad

This South Indian kosumbari is a mouth-watering salad that is traditionally served at weddings and special occasions. Easy to make, this can now become part of your healthy lifestyle.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword carrots, cucumber, green chili pepper, hesarubele, kosumalli, kosumbari, lime juice, salad, Spicy, split mung, Tangy

Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Dal Soaking Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 115kcal

Equipment

• Bamboo Cutting Board
• Kitchen Knife
• Food Processor

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Split Mung - Hesarubele
• 1 Cup Carrots - Grated
• 1 Cup Cucumber - Grated
• 1 Tablespoon Cilantro - Finely chopped
• 1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt - Or to taste
• 2 Teaspoon Lime Juice

Tempering

• 1/2 Teaspoon Coconut Oil - Cold pressed
• 1/8 Teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Green Chili Pepper - Finely Chopped. Vary to taste
• 2 Sprigs Curry Leaves

Instructions

• Wash and soak split dehusked mung beans in water for 30 minutes.
  
• Drain the water and set aside.
  
• Grate cucumber and carrots. No need to peel the vegetables if they are organic. Add to the soaked and drained mung.
  

Tempering

• Heat oil in a pan. Add coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Add asafotida (hing), chopped green chilis and curry leaves and saute for 20-30 seconds.
  
• Add tempering to the mung-vegetable mix. Add salt, lime juice and finely cut cilantro. Mix well and serve cold.
  

Notes

*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Delicious Carrot-Cucumber Kosumbari Salad

Amount per Serving

Calories

115

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

1

g

2

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Sodium

 

334

mg

15

%

Potassium

 

148

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

20

g

7

%

Fiber

 

4

g

17

%

Sugar

 

3

g

3

%

Protein

 

7

g

14

%

Vitamin A

 

5458

IU

109

%

Vitamin C

 

24

mg

29

%

Calcium

 

29

mg

3

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.