Indian tomato onion salad is a fresh and delicious topping for pappadum crackers. Loaded with tomatoes, onions, spices, and fresh coriander and mint, it is super easy to make and is also the perfect complement to grilled chicken or fish. In a pinch, enjoy them with crisp tortilla chips!
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Why You Need To Make This Recipe
In loose terms, you could view this as a sort of Indian pico de gallo salsa. I had only ever had pappadum crackers with mango chutney and other saucy type dips, but once I tried them with this tomato onion salad, I was hooked and couldn't wait to make it myself!
It is fresh and light and so easy to make yourself. You can also make as much or as little as you need for your pappadum instead of having an open jar of chutney that you can't finish fast enough because there's too much!
Ingredients
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Fresh coriander
- Fresh mint
- Chili powder (or jalapeno peppers)
- Cumin powder
- Ginger powder
- Lemon
- Salt
Instructions
Finely dice the tomatoes and transfer them to a fine-mesh strainer to drain off excess juices. Finely chop the red onion, mint leaves, and coriander.
Combine the drained diced tomatoes, diced red onion, mint leaves, coriander, chili powder, cumin, salt, and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well.
Refrigerate the tomato onion salad for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can develop.
Serving Suggestions
I know this is called "salad", but it is really more like a topping as it is an Indian condiment that is for serving with crisp pappadum crackers.
There is nothing stopping you from eating it straight like a salad, but eating it with something dry and crisp really makes it work! You could even go so far as to serve it with crisp tortilla chips if you don't happen to have any pappadum handy!
Another idea is to eat it with a grilled fish or chicken or poached chicken breasts and add a burst of flavor! It would also go great with meat dishes like Easy Pulled Pork or Smoky Chipotle Beef Barbacoa.
Commonly Asked Questions
Placing the diced tomatoes in a strainer allows the excess juices to drain off, making the tomato onion salad less "soupy" for topping the pappadum crackers. Draining them is an optional step, but I find it makes for a nicer salad.
You can, but the onion flavor will be much stronger and have more bite than if you use a red onion. If you use a yellow onion, I would suggest using less.
You don't have to add onions, but if you are looking for a milder onion taste, you can either reduce the amount of diced onions, or you could also try substituting with a shallot and see how you like the flavor.
Yes! If using fresh ginger and a fresh chili pepper (I suggest jalapeno), I would start conservatively and add a small amount of each to the salad and taste test it before deciding to add more. Both will add quite a bit more heat and bite than the spices.
The tomato onion salad is best eaten the same day it is made, but you could probably get away with eating it the next day.
More Recipes
If you like Indian dishes, you have to give my Rich and Creamy Butter Chicken a try. It's easier to make than you think.
If you're looking for more dips or toppings for crackers or chips, you should definitely take a look at
- Creamy Cucumber Tzatziki
- Super Simple Basic Guacamole
- Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
- Roasted Garlic Spinach Artichoke Dip
Fresh, simple, and delicious! If you like pappadums and want something different than the usual mango chutney or dipping sauces, you have to give this a try. But as I mentioned before, it would also be tasty with tortilla chips -- exactly like a pico de gallo salsa but with flavors reminiscent of Indian cuisine It's a must try!
~ Lisa.
Recipe
Indian Tomato Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 2 small tomatoes (Volume Measurements in Recipe Notes below)
- ½ small red onion (Volume Measurements in Recipe Notes below)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder (See Recipe Notes below)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
- Finely dice the tomatoes and place in a colander to drain off any excess juice.
- Finely dice the red onion.
- Combine the drained diced tomatoes, finely diced onion, finely chopped mint leaves and coriander, chili powder, salt, cumin, ginger powder, and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir well to mix.
- Place tomato onion salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop.
- Serve with pappadum or tortilla chips.
Notes
- Approximate volume measurements:
- 2 small tomatoes = 1 ½ cups diced
- ½ red onion = ⅓ cup diced
- Juice from ½ lemon = 2-3 tablespoons
- Adjust the amounts of the ingredients depending on desired taste.
- Chili powder can be replaced by a jalapeno pepper, finely diced.
- You can dice the tomatoes and onions into larger pieces, if preferred.
- Mint leaves and cilantro leaves can be ripped into pieces if preferred over being chopped.
- Add fined chopped cucumber for another flavor layer and extra crunch!
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