It's salad... but not as you know it

So, it looks like we are experiencing an Indian summer, it has been so hot that even some of the roads were melting (says Parveen The Spice Queen)
Lemon coriander saladLemon coriander salad
Lemon coriander salad

Well, we may be having an Indian summer but in this heat, the last thing ones wants to eat is a curry, hmmm or is it?

You know when people say, have cup of tea to cool down - as the hot beverage regulates your body temperature and it will actually cool you down. I wonder if the same can be applied for having a hot and spicy curry?

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It may work or it may not but I am not chancing it with you guys, so my recipe this week is for salad .... and before you stop reading and turn the page, thinking “Salad - really! I thought she was the spice queen” I urge you to carry on reading and try this recipe for yourself. I promise, you will love it... Plus it’s not salad as we know it. With bags of bags of flavour and a real zing, it goes with anything not just Indian food.

Parveen Ashraf The Spice QueenParveen Ashraf The Spice Queen
Parveen Ashraf The Spice Queen

Try it with pizza, jacket potato or grilled chicken. The dressing is made with fresh lemon and fresh coriander leaves which wakes the salad up and brings it to life.

At the moment, I am trying to be healthy and need to lose a few pounds, so I make it quite often in the summer months.

However, it’s my birthday today (Thursday) so I am going to eat cake!!

Lemon and Coriander Salad Recipe

Parveen Ashraf The Spice QueenParveen Ashraf The Spice Queen
Parveen Ashraf The Spice Queen

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Serves 6 to 8 people with a main meal

Ingredients:

¼ of an Iceberg lettuce

2 medium sized tomatoes

Half a red onion

¼ cucumber

¼ tsp of salt

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

METHOD

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1. Wash & thoroughly drain the lettuce, tear the lettuce leaves into pieces (this helps it to remain crispy) slicing with a metal knife can make the lettuce limp after a while. Put the lettuce into a large bowl.

2. Half the tomatoes and slice into pieces, slice the cucumber and add to bowl.

3. Finely slice the onions into half moons, they look prettier this way.

4. Add the salt, lemon juice, fresh coriander and gently mix together. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

PARVEEN’S TOP TIP

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You know when you are on summer holiday and the salads taste so much better. Why is that? Is it the sunshine? Is it the fact that you don’t have to do the washing up afterwards? None of the above, it’s the fact the salad is usually served at room temperature and the flavours flow so much better when they are not cold and straight from the fridge. So serve this salad at room temperature for best results. You will notice the difference in flavour, especially the tomatoes, they are much sweeter when they are not cold...I usually keep some tomatoes in my fruit bowl, well, technically, it is a fruit!

Q: what if I don’t like fresh coriander?

A: try fresh mint leaves or parsley as an alternative

You can see Parveen on Saturday (June 24) at 2pm and 7pm on Hochanda channel (Sky 663, Freeview 85 and hochanda.com.)