Chaat is Indian street food served out of stalls and cats combining a variety of textures, flavours (sweet, spicy & tangy mostly) as well as temperatures. Designed to challenge your taste buds. It is a scintillating experience.
This little dish is inspired by two of my favourite street foods from Mumbai/ Bombay; Bhel a puffed rice snack served with fried chickpea flour vermicelli and crisp pooris with potatoes and different kinds of chutneys and grilled street corn served out of handcarts rubbed with chilli salt and lemon.
This dish is a slightly lighter version created to include more veg and be slightly lower carb. The addition of avo, corn and tomatoes make’s it fresh, vibrant, and wholesome. But these veggies are just a guide, feel free to add in some carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers or even some mung bean sprouts. Sub puffed buckwheat for puffed quinoa or omit it all for a lovely grain-free version. This recipe of mine was published in Thrive Magazine.
Serves 2, as a Snack
Doubles easily.
Ingredients:
Mint Chutney:
Peanuts, lightly toasted 42-45g
Mint, fresh, picked 115g
Coriander, roots removed, 55g
tender stems intact
Chili, green Small 1-2, depending on preferred heat level, start with half & adjust
Ginger, fresh, chopped 10-15g
Lemon, juiced ½-1 adjust to taste
Salt 1tsp
Chaat:
Avocado, cubed ½ ea
Cherry Tomatoes ½ punnet some halved some quartered
Corn on the cob, grilled 1ea
Spring Onion, thinly sliced 1ea
Puffed Buckwheat 50g
Lemon wedges
Masala Peanuts to serve optional
*available at any Indian grocery
Mint leaves
Method:
For the Chutney (almost like pesto minus the oil, and cheese):
Lightly dry roast the peanuts on a pan or in the oven, cool. (Omit for nut free version or sub with freshly grated coconut)
Pulse the peanuts till almost powdered, add in the chili, ginger, mint, coriander, and salt along with 2 tbsp water and blend.
Add in the lemon juice, check for heat and salt, adjust, give it a quick blitz till smooth. Store in the fridge till needed. This can be done up to days in advance. Chutney keeps in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.
Cut kernels from the grilled corn, alternately use steamed frozen corn but the grilled corn does add a lovely smoky flavour to the dish. In a large bowl combine avocado, tomatoes, most of the spring onions, reserve some for garnish, corn and puffed buckwheat sprinkle with some salt. In a small bowl take 1.5tbsp chutney and mix in 1 tbsp water, pour over the ingredients, and give it quick toss. Add in the garnishes and serve immediately. This cannot be stored once prepared as the puffed buckwheat will become soggy.
To prep in advance, have all the elements ready stored in different bowls, all the veg in one, puffed buckwheat one and the chutney in another. Simply assemble before serving.
Use up the leftover chutney as a spread on bread, or to make a vegetable sandwich, over warm roasted potatoes. It makes a mean potato salad mixed with some coconut/greek yogurt.