Tzatziki, also known as cacık or tarator, is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and the Middle East. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme. It is served as a cold appetizer (mezze), a side dish, and as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros sandwiches and other foods.
Pico de gallo, also called salsa fresca, salsa bandera, and salsa cruda, is a type of salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine. It is traditionally made from chopped tomato, onion, and serrano peppers, with salt, lime juice, and cilantro.
Greek salad or horiatiki salad is a popular salad in Greek cuisine generally made with pieces of tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese, and olives and dressed with salt, Greek oregano, and olive oil. Common additions include green bell pepper slices or caper berries. Greek salad is often imagined as a farmer's breakfast or lunch, as its ingredients resemble those that a Greek farmer might have on hand.
Raita is a side dish in Indian cuisine made of dahi together with raw or cooked vegetables, fruit, or in the case of boondi raita, with fried droplets of batter made from besan.
Serbian salad is a vegetable salad, usually served during summer with roast meat and other dishes. It is made from diced fresh tomatoes, cucumber and onions, usually seasoned with sunflower oil or olive oil, salt and commonly with a variety of hot pepper similar to cayenne pepper and called feferon. It is similar to the traditional salads of other Balkan countries and the Eastern Mediterranean, such as Shopska salad, Greek salad, Arab salad, Israeli salad and Turkish shepherd's salad.
Mujaddara is a dish consisting of cooked lentils together with groats, generally rice, and garnished with sautéed onions. It is especially popular in the Levant.
Çoban salatası or choban salad is a salad that originated from Turkish cuisine and Azerbaijani cuisine consisting of finely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, long green peppers, onion, and flat-leaf parsley. The dressing consists of lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
Israeli salad is a chopped salad of finely diced tomato, onion, cucumber, and bell or chili peppers. It has been described as the "most well-known national dish of Israel", and is a standard accompaniment to most Israeli meals. Salads following essentially the same recipe, with different names, are widespread and popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.
Afghan cuisine is influenced to a certain extent by Persian, Central Asian and Indian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is halal and mainly based on mutton, beef, poultry and fish with rice and Afghan bread. Accompanying these are common vegetables and dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and whey, and fresh and dried fruits such as apples, apricots, grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, pomegranates, sweet melons, and raisins. The diet of most Afghans revolves around rice-based dishes, while various forms of naan are consumed with most meals. Tea is generally consumed daily in large quantities, and is a major part of hospitality. The culinary specialties reflect the nation's ethnic and geographic diversity. The national dish of Afghanistan is Kabuli palaw, a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb or beef.
Kosambari, Kosumalli or Koshambari is a typical South Indian salad made from pulses, cucumber and seasoned with mustard seeds. The pulses generally used are split green gram. These salads are sometimes eaten as snacks, but usually as a part of full course meal. It's regional variation in northern India is known as kachumber.
Dahi chutney is strained dahi that is mixed into a chutney of mint and onions, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in South India and is a side dish along with mirchi ka salan for the popular Hyderabadi biryani.
Kachumbari is a fresh tomato and onion salad dish that is popular in the cuisines of the African Great Lakes region. It is an uncooked salad dish consisting of chopped tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers. Variations of kachumbari can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and in the Southern African countries of Malawi and Congo.
Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.
Pashtun cuisine refers to the cuisine of the Pashtun people and is covered under both Afghan and Pakistani cuisines. It is largely based on meat dishes including mutton, beef, chicken, and fish as well as rice and some other vegetables. Accompanying these staples are dairy products, various nuts, local vegetables, and fresh and dried fruits. Peshawar, Islamabad, Kabul, Bannu, Quetta, Kandhar and Mardan are centers of Pashtun cuisine.
Arab salad or Arabic salad is any of a variety of salad dishes that form part of Arab cuisine. Combining many different fruits and spices, and often served as part of a mezze, Arab salads include those from Algeria and Tunisia such as the "Algerian salad" and "black olive and orange salad" and from Tunisia salata machwiya is a grilled salad made from peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions with olives and tuna on top, those from Syria and Lebanon such as "artichoke salad" and "beet salad", and those from Palestine and Jordan. Other popular Arab salads eaten throughout the Arab world include fattoush and tabouli.
Shirazi salad is an Iranian salad that originated from and is named after Shiraz in southern Iran. It is a relatively modern dish, dating to sometime after the introduction of the tomato to Iran at the end of the nineteenth century in the Qajar era. Its primary ingredients are cucumber, tomato, onion, olive oil, herbal spices and verjuice, although lime juice is sometimes used in its preparation. In Iran, it is eaten in the summer as a side dish on its own, and year-round as a side dish alongside meat-based foods such as kebab and as a side dish before and after meals. Shirazi salad is sometimes served as an accompaniment to rice such as loobia polo, an Iranian rice dish made with green beans and tomatoes. Cookbook author Jila Dana-Haeri describes it as a refreshing dish during the summer.
Cucumber Raita is a variation of raita that can be used as a dip or a salad. It is made by mixing together freshly chopped cucumber, green chillies, and dahi (yogurt), and optionally finely chopped tomato and onion.
Shopska salad is a cold salad popular throughout Southeastern Europe. This is Bulgaria's most famous salad and national dish, whose colors recall the Bulgarian flag.
Afghan salad is a salad in Afghan cuisine that is prepared with the primary ingredients of diced tomato, cucumber, onion, carrot, cilantro, mint and lime or sometimes lemon juice. Salt and pepper may be used to season the dish. Additional ingredients may be used, such as bell peppers, parsley, radish and herbs, among others.
