Summer Salad Series: Let's Chat About Chaat

Now that the bay area is having its Indian Summer I've fittingly found myself craving the savory and robust flavors of Indian cuisine, sans the heaviness of a cooked meal. I wondered how I could incorporate indian flavors into a salad of some kind and I immediately thought of a common appetizer called "chaat." It's a mix of tomatoes, onions, chickpeas and potato with yogurt and spices that's often found at street-side vendor carts in busy metropolitans like Chennai and Bombay as a quick snack on the go. I decided to recreate this as a salad that would pack in loads of fresh veg but provide that spicy zing that my brown-ness requires.

*Be forewarned that while all the fresh ingredients can be found at any grocery store, you will need to procure some special Indian spices either from a local Indian store or Amazon (I'll be sure to include links).

Ingredients

(Makes 1 serving)
Veg

• 1 Roma tomato
• 1/4 English cucumber
• 1/3 Red onion
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• Handful of fresh cilantro
• 1/4 Green pepper
• Handful shredded carrot
• 1/2 Lime

Chaat Topping

• Chickpeas (cooked)
• Corn
• Peanuts
• Optional: Sesame oil​

​Spices

• Garlic powder, Red chilli powder
• Indian spices:
  • Jaljira powder - This is a sour and spicy spice blend that has an almost sulphuric smell, but in a good way. It consists of cumin, ginger, black pepper, mint, salt, mango powder, and chili. It's often mixed into water and drunk as a post-meal digestif. You can find this powder at any Indian store OR order it on Amazon.
  • Kasthuri Methi - This is dried fenugreek leaves. It has an earthy and pungent smell but adds a kick to any dish. You can also find this at any Indian store or order it on Amazon. Fun fact - years ago my mom asked me to bring some of this back from India when I was visiting, and I panicked at the airport and got questioned by TSA who thought I was carrying weed. I didn't know the english word at the time which made matters worse...but don't worry, I made it through!​
• *Note: If you can't be bothered to get Jaljira & Kasthuri methi, you can substitute with cumin and any generic curry powder to get similar flavors.

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Dressing

• Greek yogurt
• Water
• Squeeze of Lime

Instructions

​Chaat

1. Wash and drain the chickpeas and corn until they are totally dry. 
2. Chop half of your red onion and half of your green pepper and set aside.
3. Heat up a frying pan to medium-high heat. If you use a non-stick or ceramic pan, you don't need any oil for this step. If you need to, you can add a teaspoon of sesame oil.
4. Add in the onion and green pepper first and let it fry for a minute or two. Then add in the chickpeas, corn, and peanuts and start mixing everything in the pan. 
5. Add in a teaspoon each of jaljira, garlic, kasthuri and chill powder and mix until it is distributed evenly. You can add more or less of these spices depending on your personal preference.
6. Increase the heat so it's on the higher side - you really want everything to blister and get a bit crispy and seared. I left everything on the pan for a total of 10-15 minutes.
7. *Note: Everything should be totally dry when done frying. Don't add in water or any other liquid as it will make this less crunchy.

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Dressing
In a small bowl, mix a 2-3 tablespoons of greek yogurt with 1/2-1 teaspoon each of jaljira, kasthuri, garlic and chilli powder until it's fully incorporated. Then spoon in a little water at a time until it is liquid enough to pour over the salad. You want the consistency to end up something like ranch dressing.

Main prep
In a large bowl, combine all the fresh vegetables (see photo above for suggested slicing/shapes). and as much of the chaat mixture as you want  For the cilantro, you can discard the stems and just use the leaves. Drizzle the yogurt dressing over the top and squeeze a wedge of lime for a bright burst of citrus. Enjoy!