For the Salad
Foxtail millet | 50 grams |
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Proso millet | 50 grams |
Kodo millet | 50 grams |
Little millet | 50 grams |
Red amaranth (Young, tender leaves, picked from stems) | 1 cup |
Cucumbers, diced | ¼ cup |
Pickled tendli (recipe below), medium diced | ¼ cup |
Oven-dried tomatoes, diced | ¼ cup |
Jackfruit seeds, boiled and sauteed | ¼ cup |
Charred corn kernels | ¼ cup |
Okra, medium diced and sautéed | ¼ cup |
Pomegranate seeds | ¼ cup |
Cilantro, finely chopped | ¼ cup |
Green chillies, finely chopped | 2 tablespoons |
Onions, finely chopped | 2 tablespoons |
For the Pickled Tendli
Tendli | ½ kilogram |
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White vinegar | 750 ml |
Water | 250 ml |
Sugar | 350 grams |
Black pepper | 5 |
Garlic | 10 |
Dry red chillies | 5 |
Cinnamon | 3 pieces |
Star anise | 7 |
Bay leaf | 5 |
Salt | 1½ tablespoons |
For the Dressing
Roasted tomatoes, pureed | 1 cup |
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Vegetable oil | ¼ cup |
Vinegar | 1 tablespoon |
Fresh lime juice | 1 tablespoon |
Lemon zest | 1 tablespoon |
Black pepper powder | 1 tablespoon |
Salt | to taste |
Sugar | to taste |
For the Garlic Yoghurt
Hung yoghurt, beaten smooth | ½ kilogram |
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Green chili paste | 1 tablespoon |
Finely grated garlic | 1 tablespoon |
Salt | to taste |
Sugar | to taste |
Instructions
For the Pickled Tendli
Prepare the pickling liquid by combining the white vinegar, water, sugar, black pepper, garlic, dry red chilli, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf, and salt in a large pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil, ensuring the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
Place the tendli in a suitable pickling jar or container.
Once the pickling liquid has boiled and the sugar and salt have dissolved, pour it over the tendli.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, ensure the tendli are fully submerged in the liquid. Seal the container.
Let the tendli steep in the liquid for 24 hours to absorb the flavours.
For the Millets
Soak the millets for 8 hours.
Boil the millets separately, one by one, until cooked but still firm.
Drain and let them cool.
For the Vegetables
Dice the cucumber and medium dice the pickled tendli.
Roast the sweet potatoes until tender.
Sauté the okra on high heat until crispy.
Boil and sauté the jackfruit seeds.
Char the corn kernels.
For the Dressing
Blend the roasted tomatoes into a puree.
Whisk in oil, vinegar, lime juice, lemon zest, black pepper, salt, and sugar according to taste.
For the Garlic Yoghurt
Combine the hung yoghurt with green chilli paste, grated garlic, salt, and sugar.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
For the Salad
In a large bowl, mix the boiled millets with the cucumber, pickled tendli, roasted sweet potatoes, oven-dried tomatoes, sautéed jackfruit seeds, charred corn kernels, sautéed okra, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, green chillies, and onions.
Toss with the dressing until evenly coated.
Now gently fold in the amaranth leaves.
Plate the salad and top each serving with a dollop of the seasoned yogurt.
Garnish with puffed millets.
Tips
The key to this salad tasting great is the balance and contrast of textures and flavours. Feel free to dial them up or down based on your preferences.
Variations
Switch out ingredients like the amaranth, okra, corn, and jackfruit seeds for other seasonal alternatives depending on when in the year you make the salad.
Thomas is a chef with nearly 15 years of professional cooking experience, and arguably a lot more if you count the early start he got in his grandmother’s kitchen in Kerala. The first phase of his career was centered around European cuisine, starting out as a line cook at Le Bernardin, New York City’s famed three Michelin star eatery in 2009. But in 2014, a culinary expedition across India made him rethink his entire approach to food. He went on to helm the kitchen at The Bombay Canteen as Chef Partner, finding inventive ways to showcase indigenous ingredients through contemporary regional Indian cuisine. In 2022, Thomas decided to bring together some of his passions—storytelling, working with local produce, and nurturing connections between people within the Indian food system—and founded The Locavore to do good through what he knows best: food.
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