Zucchini and Green Chutney Salad
An artful slow carb recipe ~ Zucchini and Green Chutney Salad.
Salads have the power to be wildly exciting or extremely boring. When you are trying to follow a slow carb diet, salads tend to be the latter. Without the help of nuts, cheese and croutons, is there hope for salad? I say YES.
It’s easy to get tired of the plain lettuce leaf variety. Sometimes you just need to branch out and experiment with other “canvases”.
Zucchini makes a great salad base because it has a mild and cooling flavor. It’s tender and easy to chop, but can also be sliced with a veggie peeler into long thin ribbons for an elegant touch.
This simple zucchini recipe brings together the feel of fine-dining and the flavors of India. The “dressing” is a bright, spicy green chutney that draws its texture from pureed chana daal and it’s color and flavor from cilantro and peppers. The roasted chana daal also provides a deep nutty essence that boosts the fresh cilantro to the forefront.
The salad itself is a simple mix of Zucchini ribbons, sliced mango, and thinly sliced red onion. I added sliced mango for extra color and flavor, which does not fit into the official Slow Carb eating plan (strictly lean protein, veggies and beans.) I’m naughty that way, what can I say. If you are following a Slow Carb Diet simply omit the mango. This zucchini recipe is still an EXCITING salad without the mango, and will definitely help you get over your salad blues.
To Prepare:
Roast the Chana Dal on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown.
Pulse all the ingredients for the chutney in the food processor until smooth.
Drizzle over zucchini salad.
Serve this on its own, or with Indian Spice Rubbed Chicken!
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Zucchini and Green Chutney Salad
Ingredients:
For the Chutney:
¼ cup Chana Dal (similar to yellow lentils)
1 cup water, divided
1-2 Serrano peppers
1 ½ Tb. Lime juice
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 bunch cilantro, stems and all
1 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
For the Zucchini Salad:
4 zucchinis
1 large mango
½ red onion
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the Chana Dal on a baking sheet and roast for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown.
Place the Chana Dal in the food processor with a ¼ cup of water and puree until smooth. Add a little extra water if needed.
Next add the Serrano pepper, lime juice, garlic, cilantro sugar and salt. Pulse to break down. Then add the remaining water and puree until smooth.
Add the sugar and salt and pulse to mix. (Makes 2 Cups)
Using a veggie peeler, slice the zucchinis into long ribbons and place them in a serving bowl. Peel and slice the mango into thin strips.
Slice the onion into thin slivers. Top the zucchini with mango and red onion and drizzle with green chutney.
*To make this a Low Carb Recipe, omit the mango.
Make sure to enter the giveaway for a fantastic Bodum Chambord Cast Iron Grill Pan. Enter Here.
Share This Post
Subscribe
Don't miss a thing! Subscribe now to receive posts by email.
Socialize
I love learning new things! Chana Dal. something new to accompany zucchini is always welcomed at my house.
Reply
What a gorgeous salad! And I’ve never heard of Chana Dal either. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Yum! That just looks so fresh and delicious!
Reply
Such a beautiful salad! And I’ll be needing some zucchini recipes soon when they start piling up in the garden.
Reply
Loving this salad – what a great, fresh, summer salad idea!
Reply
oohhh.. that chutney looks awesome! I had no idea that there was dal in it.
Reply
Beautifully persented, fanr=tastic flavors. Wonderful in every way Sommer
chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Reply
what a gorgeous presentation and salad!
Reply
looks wonderfully delicious and colourful
Reply
What a beautiful salad, Sommer! I’d say you accomplished making a salad that is far from boring. I’d love if you’d consider sharing this in the online Get Grillin’ & summer bbq event I’m hosting (it’s side dish week).
Reply
This is a Wonderful and Appetizing salad… ! A very new combo of ingredients, i never tried zucchini raw and add channa dal to coriander chutney, used to add it to coconut chutney. Now i am really inspired to try this recipe of yours, sounds so good. Happy blooging, take care, sonia !
Reply
I love the word “chutney.” Like salsa or adobo, it can mean anything you want it to mean. Hot or mild, wet or dry, chunky or smooth, pickled or fresh or roasted …
Reply
What’s kinda crazy is, you can make so many cool and healthy dips, condiments, or salsas that kids love, and yet we teach them to coat everything in ketchup or cheese whizz …
Reply
Oh, this is a stunning salad…so beautiful! I’m glad you’re naughty…I love the addition of mango
Reply
Where do you find your ingredients for some of the Indian food you mention (like the Chana Dal here)? Want to try out some of your recipes but not sure where the find some of the specialty stuff in Asheville.
Thanks, love your blog!
Reply
Sommer — June 16th, 2011 @ 9:21 pm
Hi Lydia,
In Asheville, you can buy Chana Dal at Green Life or Foreign Affairs (on Tunnel Rd).
Those outside of Asheville, I’d look in a large grocery store with a good “international” section. But you can find it in just about any foreign foods market. Chana Dal has a really nice nutty quality when roasted.
Reply
This is a stunning salad, Sommer. I don’t know anything about the slow carb diet, but I’d be all for this even not on a diet, with or without mango. At first I thought the onion was shaved radish, which would also be wonderful, no?
Reply
That is a beautiful salad!! I am loving that chutney… serrano, lime, garlic!! mmmm!
Reply
Mmm, zucchini makes great noodles!
Reply
Wow. Really beautiful salad. I will investigate this Chana dal some more. We always have so much zuchinni in our garden I’m grateful for another idea. Do you have a book to recommend for a slow carb diet?
Reply
This is wonderfully perfect for summer. So pretty too. I love the mango addition and the green chutney sounds excellent. Cant wait to make for a light dinner next week, maybe with some fish.
Reply
The vibrant colors are so alluring, I wonder if I could use this to toss into some pasta?
Reply
You made zucchini look cool
Perfect salad alternative, you are right, lettuce can get boring after a while!
Reply
This looks gorgeous and very nutritious too. I love your India-inspired recipes – there’s always something new I pick up from them. Chana dal in green chutney – must try that soon!
Reply
What a pretty and fresh summer salad!
Reply
This looks so refreshing and full of flavors..
the perfect summer dish
Reply
Mmm, love this one, Sommer. I get in such a rut with salads…lettuce, tomato, peppers…BORING! This is anythign but!
Reply
Beautiful presentation! I like the idea of dressing it with a green chutney.
Reply
I know I can always learn something new on your posts! Never heard of chana dal or a slow carb diet! The salad is far from boring in your combination of flavors and the presentation! I like the mango ribbons. I’m assuming you need to choose a mango at the perfect ripeness to slice it so beautfiully?
Reply
I’ve got some lovely fresh zucchini that I picked up from the farmer’s market just yesterday. This looks like a perfect summery way to really highlight them. YUM!
Reply
love the mango ribbons sommer, stunning salad!!
sweetlife
Reply
Hey Sommer, if this is diet friendly then sign me up;-) Beautiful salad!
Reply
This just looks so pretty! I love all the green in your pictures – they look amazing!
Reply
Beautiful. The ribbons are really elegant and that chutney is so bright and lovely in every sense. Great job creating a healthy salad that is still flavorful and craveable.
Reply
Gorgeous salad! I just happen to have all of the ingredients, too! Never can get enough zucchini in the springtime.
Congrats on the buzz!
Reply
Sommer – what a beautiful salad, and I love the dressing – would never think to use chana dal in the chutney.
Reply
Glad to be back on your lovely blog, Sommer. Love the refreshing spread and the Zucchini salad. the chutney is a staple at my home, I eat it with my Indian flat breads and rice recipes.
Reply
What a stunning recipe…this looks like it is fit for a queen’s garden party! As always, I love reading your posts. They always make me smile…and they make me want to get into my kitchen! Thank you for sharing all that you do. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Reply
I absolutely love the presentation of the zucchini ribbons! This salad is the perfect combination of simple and impressive. High five!
Reply
love these slow carb recipes, and owe you a BIG thanks for tipping me off to the 4-hour Body thing, Spicy. so easy to eat healthy these days. (well, except for the cheat days, my favorite day of the week now
Reply
Lovely recipe. I love everything about it and specially the chutney (the Indian in me
) I also had green chana dal when its in season instead of the regular one. Its taste great!
Reply
What a beautiful idea for a salad…simply adore this chutney
Reply
Beautiful colors and presentation. Shaved zucchini = instant wow factor.
Reply
Visual appeal makes or breaks a recipe, and your presentation is mouthwatering!
Reply
That really is incredibly elegant and I can imagine so many fabulous uses for that chutney!
Reply
Sommer, This salad certainly looks like a lovely piece of art! Gorgeous green chutney
Hugs,
Aldy.
Reply
That’s a guilty free recipe! Fresh and delicious.
Reply
What a great salad!
Reply