 Enjoy a fresh bowl of chaat as a light lunch this summer |
Worried about your typical daal bhaat & how it may affect your weight this summer?
Fret not, aspiring nutritional therapy practitioner Roshani Adhikary has you covered.
I'll never forget the first time I ate Chaat. I was visiting my older and much more stylish cousin, Rakshyaa (co-owner of Poshak, Naxal) in her very chic flat at the heart of New Delhi. It was 2002. We went out late and I devoured a huge bowl full of this amazing mixture of sweet, spicy and sour flavors. It was instant love.
Upon returning to the mid-western of America that year, the dream of Chaat seemed a distant memory. Recently, another cousin of mine Grishma, taught me a simple way to create this dish right at home! Since I prefer healthier recipes, this is my own rendition of the dish that's captivated my heart for exactly a decade!
It's so simple, set it in the fridge for hours, ready for your afternoon snack under the scorching hot Kathmandu sun. Simply boil some potatoes, strain the hot water, peel the potatoes, flavor them with some salt, cumin powder, cilantro and chilis, set them aside.
Place a handful of pre-soaked garbanzo beans in the pressure cooker. Let them sit for 5-6 whistles. Take out all the beans, letting them cool down. In a large bowl, place a layer of the potatoes, then garbanzo beans.
Sprinkle them with himalayan rock salt. Add a layer of yogurt, a layer of pomegranate seeds, some himalayan rock salt, some chaat masala, place an additional layer of yogurt and garnish it with some sliced beet root, pomegranate seeds, chaat masala and himalayan rock salt. Enjoy!
Things you need
Yogurt
Himalayan Rock Salt, Cumin
Pomegranate Seeds
Beet Root
Chaat Masala, Chilli Peppers
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
Potatoes
Cilantro
Benefits of this dish
Pomegranates are loaded with anti-oxidants. Yogurt is a pro-biotic. Himalayan Rock Salt has been known to aid digestion. Beet Roots assist in increasing the strength of your blood cells. Garbanzo Beans offer lots of protein to help rebuild the muscles you've just worked on during the sizzling hot yoga session completed right before this lunch (hint, hint: follow along with my Yoga practice), Potatoes offer the carbohydrates you'll need to energize yourself (limit yourself to only 1/2 cup if you're using about 2 packs of yogurt) and cilantro, well, mmmm, who doesn't love the smell of this delicious herb?
Get creative, use proportions that suit your own taste. I used 2 tablespoons of Chaat Masala, 1 Tablespoon of Rock Salt, 1 Pomegranate, 1/2 Beet Root, 1/2 cup of potatoes, 4 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 1 Teaspoon of Cumin. Some people like adding sugar; I don't.
