Salads & Raita

Sometimes simplest is best. This easy dressing is great for salads or veggies, or can be used to drizzle over rice, pasta, or even over toast.

It's wonderful when you find that perfect balance of flavors. And even more wonderful when this recipe is easy and fast. Try it out and let us know if you think it needs a little more or a little less (post a comment here, or email us). We'd love to know what you think of this recipe.

The Chinese-Malay salad known as rojak is an example of a classic Indonesian dish (called rujak), a dish that has developed as a hybrid somewhere else. This version tantalizes the senses with a brilliant array of hot, sweet, sour, and salty tastes, coupled with an assortment of juicy, slippery, leafy, crunchy, spongy and crispy textures. Really it tastes as good as it sounds.

Hari Caran dasa, the head cook of Gopal's Restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand, says that cucumbers are at their best when they're about 10 inches (25 cm) long, firm, bright green, and shiny. If the skin is tough, you can peel or score it; if the seeds are large, it will be worth the extra time to scrape them out.

A salad made of fresh, tender greens is not only delicious and refreshing, but quite opulent because of the delicate leaves. If you have the opportunity to grow the greens yourself, even better!

Fortunately it's easier than ever to find nice greens in many grocery stores these days. Be sure to wash your greens and remove any leaves with questionable spots. If the leaves are larger than you'd like, it's better to tear the leaves into smaller piece than to cut them. Cutting will bruise the leaves and cause them to wilt and discolor sooner.

When I was a child, my parents always served this slightly sweet salad and we never tired of it, especially during the holidays. Cool and crunchy, this salad is usually a big favorite. It is a naturally sweet recipe that appeals to children and adults alike.