Every fall, people talk a lot of game about pumpkin—yet apples are often relegated to the world of sweet dishes or simple snacks. But these fresh crunchy fruits are a perfect addition to many dishes on your table—especially as we head into the holiday season hungry for something to lighten up an otherwise heavy table.
For chef Priyanka Naik, cooking is a means of self-expression: “It’s really just a reflection of me as a person; it’s a culmination of my heritage. I’m first-generation Indian-American, and I grew up in a land that didn’t look like me, or act like me, or eat like me,” she told mindbodygreen. It was those experiences that were big drivers for her passion for food, and how her new book The Modern Tiffin (which is out today) came to be.
This slaw, in particular, comes from her cookbook chapter inspired by South Indian cuisine, specifically a dish called koshumbri. Though Naik is Maharashtrian, she told us that she grew up speaking Kannada—a Southern Indian language from Karnataka, which shares a border with Maharashtra. Because of the overlap, she includes a second chapter of recipes inspired by Southern India, including this one. But what is koshumbri?
“It basically means a side salad or a salad condiment,” she explained. “The idea behind it is to complement the other dishes on your plate. It’s really all about the balance of textures. It should always be on the colder or room-temp side; it should always include fresh produce.”
The other thing it includes is tempered spices, or spices that are toasted and bloomed in hot oil to bring out their flavor and aroma. In this case, the hot oil is poured over the fresh apples.
Naik also shared some advice for dishes to enjoy with this side: “If I were to think about this in the scope of holidays, this goes really well with any type of rice or risotto dish,” she suggests. Because of its freshness and spice-forward flavors, the slaw is a natural complement to a starchier dish. “Traditionally we will eat it on the side of rice dishes, alongside vegetable dishes, or with rosti or chapati.”
“Weirdly,” she added, “it also goes really well with a cornbread.”
