This unusual Cucumber, Peanut, and Coconut Salad comes from a Martha Stewart cookbook. As is often her way, it relies upon some not-so-easy-to-find items, but the result is remarkable. It’s flavorful and while it’s not heavy, it is substantial. Would make a fantastic side or first-course dish to something with a tropical vibe, like a sticky-sweet pineapple chicken.
You’ll be starting with a whole coconut, which is incredibly fun.
Ingredients
1 mature coconut
1½ cups dry-roasted peanuts
1 cucumber
Salt, to taste
3 Tbs safflower seed oil
1½ Tbs black mustard seeds
¼ cup lime juice (from 2 limes)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Dried red chili flakes, to taste, optional
Brown sugar, to taste, optional
Sesame oil, to taste, optional
Directions
- Extract the meat from the coconut. (See notes. Repurpose or discard the water.) Use a food processor to grate the meat; set aside.
- Toast the peanuts in cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (setting 4-5 of 9) until slightly charred, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning. Transfer to a cutting board; when cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
- Wash the cucumber to remove the wax. Dry it thoroughly. Slice off both ends of the cucumber. Slice the cucumber, end to end, into wedges that are about 1/2-inch thick measured along the skin edge. Slice away and discard the seeds. Slice the wedges once more, end to end, to produce 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Slice the wedges into 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the peanuts to the bowl. Toss and season to taste with salt. Add the coconut, and check the seasoning.
- Heat the oil, over a medium flame, in the same (unwashed) skillet that you used for the peanuts, until very hot. Add the mustard seeds; cook until they pop, about 5 seconds. Immediately pour the contents of the pan over the cucumber mixture. Toss. Add the lime juice and cilantro; season with salt. (Add optional ingredients, very sparingly.) Allow the salad to sit at room temperature for an hour, so that the flavors mingle.
Notes
- Serving sizes are small, because the salad is hearty, and this much coconut takes time to chew.
- There are many methods of opening a mature coconut: in bare feet, with an oven, with a corkscrew and rolling pin, and more. I used the oven.
- The salad is delicious without the options.
The Backstory
My curiosity about cracking open a mature coconut is what drove my interest in making this salad. Although I see young coconuts everywhere, it took a while to find a grocer that stocks mature ones. Opening it was kind of an involved process that halfway through seemed like too much work, but in retrospect turned out to be no more laborious than peeling and coring enough apples for a pie. In videos, they always make it look so easy; in reality, it takes a bit of manhandling. Nonetheless, I think it’s something everyone should do at least once, because it is fun. But if I could find pre-packaged coconut meat, I think I’d go that route if I were to make this salad again.
This salad gets better over time. Even three days later, it seemed better than it did when fresh. I wound up tosssing some of it into a chopped green salad, along with an avocado, and blessed it with a healthy dose of vinaigrette, and it was amazing!
Social Learning
This is an Indian dish.. I don’t know anything about Indian food, so I can’t vouch for this dish in that regard. This is one of the rare instances where the more cilantro, the better. The peanuts and coconut give it a strong umami sense. It’s best at room temperature, but it’s fairly good straight from the fridge. Leftover, the salad might soak up a bit of the oil; a touch of sesame oil will fix that, and add a nice touch of flavor.
Could you substitute unsweetened coconut from a bag? I’d say no. It’d be too dry. Nonetheless, some people do.
Take care when buying the peanuts. The shelf life of a peanut isn’t as infinite as you might think. The oil in the nuts will develop an off taste over time; often enough, this happens while they’re still on the grocer’s shelf.
If this salad has a drawback, it’s that the the fresh coconut’s unique milkiness isn’t as apparent when it’s shredded. There’s a NYT recipe for a similar salad; I think you might be able to add thin shavings of fresh coconut to it.
Cucumber, Peanut, and Coconut Salad
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. Thanks, Prosper Circle. References: The Editors of Martha Stewart Living, “Cucumber, Peanut, and Coconut Salad.” In Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: The Original Classics. (New York, NY: Clarkson Potter, 2007), 140.
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So refreshing, crunchy and tasty! This salad is totally right up my alley.
angiesrecipes recently posted…Sweet and Salty Browned Butter Pecan Cookies
I hope so! Thanks!
Un’insalata molto invitante e appetitosa!!!!
speedy70 recently posted…QUADROTTI CREMOSI alle PERE
Thank you!
Jeff, next time please crack open the coconut with your bare feet!
You know I will.
Ooo this is one of the most unique salad combinations I’ve ever seen. Loving all the flavours and textures going on. I’ve added flaked coconut into salads before, but using fresh one sounds like a wonderful and fun addition!
It was very fun! Thanks, Ben!
I like the ingredients in this salad especially the peanuts and the coconut. The mustard seed seems unusual but must add an interesting flavor to the salad.
Judee recently posted…Italian Escarole Soup- Vegan
Good point. I found the mustard to be more looks than taste.
I know I would love this salad since I love anything coconut. Coconuts are a plenty where I come from but I don’t know how to open one but my partner can. We can easily buy freshly grated coconut and I don’t see why I should not give your salad a try!
You’ll have to get your partner to teach you!
This sounds like such an odd combination, but it actually works with the keto lifestyle, so I am going to have to try it. Especially since I have all the ingredients on hand.
anne recently posted…Dinnertime Time Warp
I have to tell you, at first I thought it was good, but eventually I found myself craving it.
Okay, I might not have given this a second look, but I trust you and the more I read about it the more I want it. And who doesn’t like a recipe that calls for some friendly manhandling? Mature coconut? How to distinguish one from the other without an in-depth conversation?
🙂
Interesting! I have to admit that I’ve never cracked a coconut myself, but I’ve always wants to try. I wish you had attempted the foot method…and posting a video, of course. 🙂 All jokes aside, this salad sounds delicious! Peanuts + cilantro are a magical combination, so I’m pretty sure this salad is going to be right up my alley!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Classic Ground Beef Tacos
🙂
Such a great combination of flavors. I love salads that are hearty, while not too heavy like this. I do like that Martha! 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
Now this looks like a salad I should try making- though I think I’d use pre-packaged shredded coconut. I can just imagine Martha dreaming up this recipe while she was in prison years ago (“hmm, should I break the coconut open by using my feet or the oven?”). Thanks- great recipe!
Hahah! While I was working on this, I looked around for other recipes like it, and I did find some Indian bloggers with similar recipes that use pre-packaged, shredded coconut. They said you have to let it sit for a while, so that the coconut rehydrates in the juices from the cucumber (which they didn’t trim to the extent that I did). I do think that’d be worth a try.
Neat dish! Didn’t actually know there were mature (and immature!) coconuts. I’d think the immature one would be much more appropriate for me. 🙂
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Pumpkin and Ricotta Gnocchi
You know, I didn’t know it, either. While I was trying out this recipe, I started with a young coconut, not realizing that it mattered. It won’t work in this context. The meat of a young coconut is not at all what you’d expect. It’s soft and somewhat gelatinous.
Such an interesting combination of flavors! I’ve never cracked my own coconut either, but I’m glad to know it can be done in a home kitchen. I bet the flavor is really lovely when you have fresh coconut.
Molly Pisula recently posted…Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail
Thanks, Molly. The flavor is good, but what struck me was that the fresh coconut meat is sort of juicy in a way.
I would like to try this salad for lunch. It looks really hearty and healthy. I also want to add 1 or 2 Tablespoons pomegranate into salad mixture. Thanks for the recipe.
That sounds gorgeous.
Very interesting. Very interesting. I trust MS and I definitely trust you! Off to see if I can get my hands (or feet) on a coconut!
Chef Mimi recently posted…Lentils with Burrata and Basil Oil
So funny! That was the same reaction I had to the recipe. And when I first tasted it, I thought, “OK.” But then it really grew on me. It’s quite satisfying.
I’m going to admit that these are not ingredients I ever would have thought to toss together, but after reading this post, it somehow all makes sense. I am always down to try a Martha Stewart recipe. She tends to have more hits than misses.
Agreed!
A very refreshing and delicious salad indeed.
A very similar kind of salad is made towards the west coast region of India especially in the state of Maharashtra and a few surrounding areas.
EASYFOODSMITH recently posted…GULAB JAMUN CAKE (Eggless)
Thanks for the info! I had heard that this is an Indian dish.
what an interesting salad jeff. years ago our dad used to bash up fresh coconuts with a hammer maybe? and we would eat the coconut meat for … ages … yes it takes ages to chew. what on earth we were doing with fresh coconuts in cold and rainy melbourne all those years ago is anybody’s guess:-)
sherry recently posted…The No-Lasagne Lasagne – And Sans Tomato!
What a great memory!
This salad sounds amazing,, Jeff! I love all the flavors here. I’m not sure I want to open my own coconut, even after all those methods. I could likely find a container of coconut at a well-stocked sort of grocery – but this is definitely on my list of new recipes to try. I like that it keeps in the fridge a bit, too – often I’m the more adventurous eater in my house. (!) And I always find Martha Stewart recipes to be among the more interesting sort. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you!
LOVE all the ingredients in this salad! And the flavors along with coconut – this has to be amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
What a unique salad Jeff! I am so intrigued. This flavor profile is absolutely gorgeous. My interest is so piqued now by mature coconut. It makes sense that it would differ from young coconut, but I’d never thought about it before. I need to make this salad!
It’s quite a novelty.