Recipe for Indian Onion Salad/Chutney/Dip for Poppadoms

Gous Ahmed works as a writer part-time and enjoys sharing recipes.

Indian Onion Salad Recipe

Everyone enjoys the fresh, crisp taste of onions, cucumbers, and garden mint. You have come to the right place to learn how to make Indian onion salad—or chutney, as some people call it.

This is a recipe for an onion salad that's traditionally eaten with Indian poppadoms, but that doesn't mean you cannot eat it with anything else! You may already buy poppadoms and jars of chutneys from supermarkets or takeaways, but now you can make your own fresh onion salad at home.

The quick and easy recipe for this salad uses simple ingredients, listed below.

Ingredients

• 3 onions
• 1/3 cucumber
• 2 tomatoes
• Handful of coriander leaves
• Fresh garden mint sauce
• 1 teaspoon of crushed methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)
• 1 slice of fresh lemon

Instructions

1. Get a clean chopping board and a clean vegetable cutting knife you feel comfortable using.
2. Dice all three onions very finely and place them in a clean medium-sized bowl.
3. Dice the cucumber and tomato very finely. Leave the mint sauce, methi leaves, fresh slice of lemon, and coriander until last.
4. Cut the fresh slice of lemon and coriander as finely as possible. The finer you cut them, the better the tastes will meld together.
5. Place everything in the bowl, including the mint sauce and methi leaves.
6. Mix all the ingredients together slowly and as carefully as possible so as not to squash them. You do not want to release the moisture from the ingredients.

Voilà! There you have it: onion salad you made yourself to enjoy with poppadoms from your local Indian restaurant or supermarket!

Enjoy.

Photo Tutorial

Tomato-Onion Salad and Other Ways to Spice up Your Chutney

Below is a video on how to make Indian onion chutney with a twist. Instead of fresh tomatoes, mint, and cucumber, it adds canned plum tomatoes, chopped green chilis, and garlic. The ingredients are all mixed in a bowl and then placed on a plate ready to eat with your favourite curry or poppadoms—or anything else, for that matter.

Variations

This recipe can be easily modified with different ingredients.

• For example, you can use roasted tomatoes instead of tinned plum tomatoes to get that barbecue flavour.
• If you're looking for something spicy, this Indian onion salad is especially tasty if you add black fried bird's eye chilis.

Comments

Inga Neale on May 02, 2020:

Made it last week - but added a tiny bit of dried mint as that was all I had - it was a fresh, authentic tasting salad - so much so making again tonight for another indian themed barbecue..

Ian Stangoe on May 02, 2018:

Making this tonight, can anyone tell how much mint to put in ....... teaspoon ? or more

Lol Benson on February 27, 2018:

Superb quick and easy use mint sauce in jar, ignore the rest of the moaners, my family love it. cheers hic

Max on July 10, 2017:

To rid the onions of their "onion sting" after chopping soak them in some basic vinegar. After 5 mins rinse with cold water, drain well and proceed with the recipe.

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on March 29, 2017:

I always use Colman's Garden Mint available at any supermarket.

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on March 29, 2017:

It is all about the onions! When you mix all the ingredients together you get the best taste!

Amanda fazackerley on December 19, 2016:

Thank-you for this recipe...it's lovely and fresh. I think people have been a bit confused by the mint sauce element....I just used a few mint leaves. The onions aren't as strong if you put them (chopped) in a bowl of water for a few hours..thanks again...delicious!

Peter on November 25, 2016:

load of crap.

the onions will be too strong.

indian restaurants do something to make them mild

TrishRybak on September 27, 2016:

The Indian Onion Salad Recipe asks for fresh garden mint sauce. Could you please confirm how this is made, or could you just purchase a mint sauce from a supermarket? Thanks.

Tish Rybak on September 27, 2016:

The recipe for the Indian Onion Salad asks for fresh garden mint sauce. How is this made or can you use a shop bought mint sauce?

John Goodwin White from Scotland on May 13, 2014:

Very useful recipe with clear and concise instructions, I'll definitely be giving this a try. Thank you.

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on July 03, 2012:

Garden mint?

SHEENA DAVIES on July 01, 2012:

what is the stuff put on the onions thst we have with popadoms

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on August 27, 2011:

It's just dessicated coconut with orange food colouring. Nothing special, just to make it look attractive.

ROSEMARY POWER on August 26, 2011:

does anyone know what the orange coloured coconut type stuff is that is sometimes served with poppadoms?

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on March 07, 2010:

@ Tenblogger, poppadoms are very nice aren't they? Especially with Onion salad, mango chutney and lime pickle! Yum yum!

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on March 07, 2010:

@ akirchner, there you go indeed! I'm sure you'll enjoy it with whatever you decide to have it with.

Thanks for your comment. Take care.

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on March 07, 2010:

@ Dohn, yeah, i made this so easy so that you don't screw it up! Lol, joking. Try it and let me know what you think. Thanks for your comment.

Ten Blogger on February 26, 2010:

Poppadoms - Chutney recipe makes me hungry.. I can smell Poppadoms :)

Audrey Kirchner from Washington on February 26, 2010:

Sounds very delicious and quite interesting! Will have to try this and I love coriander so there ya go.

dohn121 from Hudson Valley, New York on February 25, 2010:

Wow! Even I cant' screw this up! I've been meaning to work with coriander and this seems like the proper way to start! Thanks, G Miah! I'm bookmarking this one for later use.

Gous Ahmed (author) from Muslim Nation on February 25, 2010:

Thanks Keira, it is a nice salad for poppadoms which i used to make when i had catering businesses in the past. I sometimes have it with poppadoms, birianis or any other rice dish!

Thank you for your comment!

Keira7 on February 25, 2010:

Mummm, I can almost test it.:) Nice recipe wich I will definitely give it a go. Thanks for sharing my dear bro.:D