Nepali Sadeko Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Grilled Corn and Sesame

Heat a grill or grill pan to high. Char the corn directly over the flame, turning every couple of minutes, until blistered and blackened in patches, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then stand each ear upright and slice the kernels off.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
• 2 large cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
• 3 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup (45 g) white sesame seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp mustard oil or sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 to 2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 cup (20 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
• 1/2 cup (60 g) roasted peanuts, roughly crushed

Instructions

1. Heat a grill or grill pan to high. Char the corn directly over the flame, turning every couple of minutes, until blistered and blackened in patches, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then stand each ear upright and slice the kernels off.
2. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking constantly, until they turn nut brown and start to pop, 3 to 4 minutes. Tip immediately onto a plate to stop the cooking, and toast the cumin seeds the same way for one minute.
3. Grind two-thirds of the sesame seeds with the cumin in a mortar or spice grinder to a coarse, sandy powder. Reserve the remaining whole seeds for garnish.
4. Whisk the ground sesame with the mustard oil, lime juice, green chilies, ginger, salt and turmeric in a large bowl until it forms a loose, fragrant paste. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the ginger and chili bloom.
5. Add the cucumber, tomato wedges, red onion and grilled corn to the bowl. Toss thoroughly with your hands so every piece is coated in the sesame dressing.
6. Fold in most of the cilantro and let the salad rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. This is the important step: the salt draws juice from the tomatoes and cucumber and it mingles with the sesame into a proper dressing.
7. Taste and adjust with more lime or salt. Scatter over the crushed peanuts, reserved whole sesame seeds and the rest of the cilantro just before serving so they stay crunchy.
8. Sadeko simply means dressed or seasoned in Nepali, and it describes a whole family of quick, punchy salads found everywhere from Kathmandu bhattis to village kitchens. The technique is built around toasted ground sesame, which gives body without any dairy or mayonnaise. Adding grilled corn is a peak-summer liberty, but it fits the spirit exactly: sadeko is whatever the market gave you that morning, seasoned hard and eaten fresh.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 380 kcal
• Protein: 12g
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fiber: 8g
• Sugar: 11g
• Sodium: 620mg