I had a Turkish salsa which reminded me of this Tomato, Cucumber and Chilli Sambal that I make very often in our home. It was only the second time I ever tried a Turkish salsa and it was so delicious. It is similar to this Sambal that we make to accompany our Indian food, however everything seemed like it was coarsely blended with spice, it definitely had paprika. I am definitely going to try making that soon. Nothing to do with this Tomato, Cucumber and Chilli Sambal recipe except the ingredients are so similar I couldn’t help but remember that delicious salsa. In my family we always make a Sambal to accompany almost any curry .
It’s a cooling side dish that we love, my 10 year old simply cannot eat a curry with having Sambal on the side. I add a little bit of salt and lemon juice in my Tomato Cucumber Chilli Sambal but my mum adds vinegar, which I really do prefer but my family are not fans of vinegar. Usually I will add the salt and lemon juice just before serving so it doesn’t become mushy, it’s okay to let it stand for a few minutes. Not many people add mint to a Sambal, it’s usually coriander/dhania but I love the addition of the mint, it makes it all the more refreshing. I also prefer using ripe but firm tomatoes. I sometimes remove some of the pulp, only the mushy bits so my Sambal doesn’t become all watery. If the pulp is still quite firm it’s still okay to use them as this is where the flavour is. Next time you make a curry please try this Tomato, Cucumber and Chilli Sambal as an accompaniment, you won’t regret it. The perfect curry to try with this Sambal is the Durban Lamb Curry
Tomato Cucumber Chilli Sambal
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