Red Chili & Mustard Seed Apple Slaw

I’ve talked about koshumbri a lot in this chapter. One may think I am obsessed, and I am not ashamed of that. How can you not be obsessed with a dish that is all about texture and bold flavors, and versatile enough to be paired with anything? If I told you the number of koshumbris my family makes, you might be astonished. We make a koshumbri out of everything—raw mango, tomato, gourds, beets, coconut—you name it, we koshumbri it. However, there is one item I have yet to see a koshumbri for, and that is the classic American apple. So, you know I had to create something that combined both of my worlds, and thus this Red Chili & Mustard Seed Apple Slaw was born. It’s a dynamic combination of crunchy and sweet apples with spicy red chilies and bold black mustard seeds. It’s a surprisingly awesome combination and I love pairing this with the Savory Chickpea Pancakes from this chapter, or really with any dish in this book

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

PREP THE APPLES: Using a sharp chef’s knife, julienne the apples. You want to do this by first cutting the apple in half, then in half again lengthwise. Once the quarter of the apple is at an angle, carefully use your knife to discard the middle core. Place the palm of your hand on top of the skin side of the apple to cut the apple into thin side rectangles. Once those are cut, you can julienne your rectangles into thin strips. Set the apple strips in a small bowl on the side. Give one small squeeze of the lemon wedge over the apples so they don’t oxidize.

Step 2

TEMPER THE SPICES: Place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. Once it is shimmery and you see ripples, it’s hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the mustard seeds. They will pop, so be careful! Next, break up the red chilies into the skillet and, if using, add the pinch of hing. Lastly, add your curry leaves, if using, and stand back because these pop aggressively! Once the popping subsides, swirl the mixture around until everything is coated, remove from the heat, and immediately pour over the apples and toss. Add the salt and pepper and squeeze the remaining juice from the lemon wedge. Toss and taste, adding more salt if necessary.

Step 3

GARNISH AND SERVE: Toss in the cilantro and grated coconut right before serving or, if traveling, toss in the coconut and cilantro and place into your tiffin and get goin’; enjoy!