When I saw this strange looking vegetable in the International shop I’m buying from, I had no idea what it was. I took a picture of the name – Kakadi – so I can find details about it online.

I was sure it was a courgette kind of vegetable, as it was near the courgettes at the shop and well, it has a courgettey look. My plans changed when I went home and I saw that is a cucumber, hence the Kakadi Salad recipe.

This is how it looks when is cut in half. Kakadi means cucumber in Marathi (Indian dialect), so definitely not suitable for my initial idea of stuffing it and serve it on a bed of rice or teff porridge. I’ve seen a few recipes for Kakadi Salad and all of them had peanuts. So, I’ve made my recipe with peanuts and it works nicely.

The Kakadi is not as flavoursome as a cucumber, but it is nice none the less. A bit expensive, but it is worth it if you fancy trying a new vegetable like I was.

Ingredients for a big Kakadi Salad, 2 servings:

– 1 Kakadi cucumber
– cherry tomatoes, around 10
– 2 spoons of vegetable oil (rapeseed or sunflower)
– 1/2 tsp lemon juice
– peanuts
– sea salt
– crushed black pepper
– mustard seeds
– dried coriander leaves (or fresh if you have at home)

First of all peel the kakadi cucumber and remove all the seeds. The seeds are a bit bitter, so make sure you remove them. Cut the cucumber in cubes. On top of them add the washed tomatoes, chopped in halves. In a mortar and pestle, crush the black pepper. Do the same with the peanuts. Sprinkle the spices and the peanuts on top of the salad and have a taste. Add more, according to your preference. Pour the oil on top and the lemon juice and stir.

The salad is ready to be served. You can have it with rice or, pretty much anything. I like the combination of cucumber and peanuts, I think it goes well with lots of dishes.

This is my Kakadi Salad. Have you ever tried this vegetable before?