It’s a salad that I can write an ode to. I absolutely unashamedly love it. It brings together summer and winter. Yin and Yang. Crunch and mush. Bitter and sweet. Like most things in life.

The inspiration was over a decade ago, on a food show with the most talented vivacious Malavika Singh of Delhi. She was the hostess with the mostest. Laid out a beautiful table, and chose her guests with care. For her, as she told me, conversation around the table was as important as the quality of the food. Her version of this salad ended with the rocket and mango, which I think is a pair made in heaven. I have fiddled with it over the years, and honestly, have come up with a dozen versions, depending on what’s in the fridge. More on that later. Let’s get started and before you ask me what you can serve this with, I would tell you, all you need is good conversation, and it will pair with just about anything.