Indian Salad (Indian Takeaway Style Kachumber Salad)

Updated: March 2026

If you’ve ever ordered a curry from an Indian takeaway in the UK, you’ll almost certainly have been served a fresh Indian salad on the side.

This simple Indian salad recipe (sometimes called kachumber salad or Indian takeaway salad) is made with crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, coriander and chilli, finished with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt.

It’s fresh, crunchy, slightly spicy and incredibly refreshing, which makes it the perfect side dish to balance rich curries, kebabs or grilled meats.

The best part?
It takes just 10–15 minutes to make and uses simple everyday ingredients.

What Is Indian Salad?

Indian salad is a simple chopped vegetable salad commonly served in Indian restaurants and takeaways alongside curry. It usually includes cucumber, tomatoes, onion and fresh herbs, often finished with lemon juice and chilli.

This version is inspired by the classic Indian takeaway salad served in the UK, with shredded lettuce, fresh coriander and chilli for extra crunch and flavour.

Why This Indian Salad Is So Good With Curry

A classic Indian takeaway salad works so well alongside curry because it adds freshness and acidity to balance the spices.

The cool crisp vegetables help cut through:

• rich curry sauces
• spicy kebabs
• fried starters like samosas or pakoras

You’ll often find this simple cucumber and onion salad served in Indian restaurants alongside:

• poppadoms
• mint sauce
• mango chutney
• onion bhajis

It’s a simple side dish — but it makes a big difference to the whole meal.

Quick Recipe Summary

Recipe: Indian Salad
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4–6

A fresh, crunchy Indian takeaway style salad made with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, coriander and chilli.

Perfect served alongside curry, kebabs or grilled meats.

Ingredients For Indian Salad

One of the reasons this recipe works so well is that the ingredients are simple, fresh and inexpensive.

You’ll need:

• 2–3 Little Gem lettuces, finely shredded
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 6 salad tomatoes, diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• juice of 1 lemon
• sea salt, to taste

These ingredients combine to create the fresh crunchy texture and bright flavour typical of Indian restaurant salads.

Equipment You’ll Need

You don’t need any specialist equipment to make this salad.

Just:

• chopping board
• sharp vegetable knife
• salad spinner (optional but helpful)
• lemon juicer
• large mixing bowl

How To Make Indian Salad (Step-By-Step)

This salad takes just a few minutes to prepare.

Step 1 – Prepare The Vegetables

Wash the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and coriander thoroughly.

Spin the lettuce dry using a salad spinner or pat dry with kitchen paper. This helps keep the salad crisp.

Step 2 – Chop The Ingredients

Prepare the vegetables:

• shred the lettuce finely
• dice the cucumber and tomatoes
• finely chop the onion
• slice the chilli thinly
• roughly chop the coriander

For extra heat, leave the chilli seeds in.

Step 3 – Toss The Salad

Add everything to a large bowl and gently toss together.

Finish by squeezing over fresh lemon juice and adding a pinch of sea salt.

Serve immediately for the best texture and flavour.

Tasty Variations To Try

Once you’ve made the classic version, you can easily customise it.

Add Protein

Turn this into a light main course salad by adding:

• grilled chicken tikka
• cooked prawns
• roasted chickpeas
• grilled halloumi
• tofu

Add Fruit

For a sweeter twist try adding:

• fresh mango slices
• pomegranate seeds

Both work beautifully with the chilli and coriander.

Add Crunch

For extra texture sprinkle over:

• toasted seeds
• roasted chickpeas
• crushed poppadoms

What To Serve With Indian Salad

This salad is most commonly served alongside Indian curries and grilled meats.

It pairs particularly well with:

• Turkey Keema Curry
• Beef Mince Curry
• Chickpea Curry

It’s also delicious with:

• grilled chicken
• lamb kebabs
• BBQ burgers
• tandoori dishes

The freshness of the vegetables helps balance rich, spicy food.

Tips For The Best Indian Salad

A few small tips will make this salad even better.

Use fresh lemon juice
Fresh lemon juice gives a much brighter flavour than bottled juice.

Slice the onion finely
Very finely chopped onion keeps the salad balanced and prevents it overpowering the other ingredients.

Serve immediately
This salad tastes best freshly made, while the vegetables are crisp.

More Healthy Salad Recipes

If you're looking for more easy side salads to serve with dinner, try one of these fresh salad recipes next.

• Quick Spicy Prawn Salad
• Chickpea & Beetroot Salad
• Tomato Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Salad

These fresh salads are perfect for quick lunches or easy dinners.