Sides and Salads Recipes - Cucumber Jewel Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 small cucumber

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 1 small, ripe pineapple or

• 425g/15oz can Pineapple rings

• 1 green (bell) pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

• 3 firm tomatoes, chopped

• 30ml/2 tbsp sugar

• 45-60ml/3-4 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 120m1/1/2 cup water

• salt

• seeds of 1-2 pomegranates, to garnish

Serves 8

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Method:

1. Halve the cucumber lengthways, remove the seeds, slice and spread on a plate with the onion. Sprinkle with salt. After about 10 minutes, rinse off the salt thoroughly and pat dry.

2. If using a fresh pineapple, peel and core it, removing all the eyes, then cut it into bite size pieces. If using canned pineapple, drain the rings and cut them into small wedges.

3. Place the pineapple in a bowl with the cucumber, onion, green pepper and tomatoes.

4. Heat the sugar, vinegar and measured water in a pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

5. When cold, add a little salt to taste and pour over the fruit and vegetables. Cover and chill until required. Serve in small bowls, garnished with pomegranate seeds.

With its clean taste and bright, jewel-like colors, this salad makes a perfect accompaniment to a variety of spicy dishes and curries. Pomegranate seeds, though not traditional, make a beautiful garnish.

Variation: To make this Indonesian-style, salt a salad cucumber as described in the recipe. Make half the dressing and pour it over the cucumber. Add a few chopped spring onions. Cover and chill. Serve scattered with toasted sesame seeds.