Salads are not the first thing that comes to your mind when talking about Indian food, right? The Indian cuisine, outside of the Indian sub-continent, is mostly known for its curries, idlis, dosas, parathas and desserts. This is the fare that most Indian restaurants serve. But there are so many wonderful unsung salad heroes in all regions in India.

In the South, we have delicious raitas and kosumbari salads. Raitas are salads that are yogurt based and topped with a delicious tempering. You are more likely to eat Kosumbari during a traditional meal served during festivities like pujas and weddings. Kosumbaris have some kind of a lentil in them, along with fresh veggies, and a generous dollop of freshly grated coconut. Yum!!

Hearty Chaat Salad

This Hearty Chaat Salad probably has origins in the Eastern part of India -possibly Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay). Chaat is synonymous with street food in India. Made mostly with deep fried flour, cooked potatoes, lentils (think garbanzo or black chana), herbs and spices, they are much sought after delicacies on not only streets in Western India, but all over the country. In fact, there are several restaurants in the Dallas area that serve up amazing chaats like bhel puri, dahi puri, sev puri, pani puri, samosa chaat and many other varieties. Though not the most nutritious of foods, they certainly carry a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for home.

My friend Falguni hails from Bombay and recently invited us over for a delicious meal. One of the dishes she served was this amazing Chaat Salad. Filled with wide variety of beans, fruits and veggies, it had a wonderful bite and crunch to it. We had not just seconds but thirds. Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of it.

The Secret Ingredient in this Chaat Salad

What makes a Chaat Salad stand out from your run-of-the-mill salads? The secret ingredient is the chaat masala! Chaat masala is a ground mixture of rock salt, black salt, dried mango, cumin, pomegranate seed, black pepper, dried ginger, chili pepper, mint leaf, nutmeg, bishop’s weed and hing (asafoetida), or a variation thereof. When you add chaat masala to the salad, it adds a definite zing and brings out the delicious sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors in the dish.

As always, I can never fully replicate a recipe Even if someone gives me the exact ingredients and measurements, I gloss over them, make mental notes, and make my own variations. Falguni added tomatoes and tamarind-date chutney to hers; I substituted them with colored bell peppers. Is this the way new recipes are born? With freshness and deliciousness overload, I guarantee that this will become one of your go-to salads!

Nutritious Salad Recipes

We have several Eastern and Western salad recipes that you can browse through and make your favorites your meal staples.

• Sprouted Black Chana Sundal | Kadale Kaalu Usli
• Tropical Pineapple & Bell Pepper Salad
• Harvest Salad with Spinach-Apple-Pomegranate
• Raw Dosakaya Salad
• Spicy, Tangy Sprouts & Carrot Salad
• Spicy-Sweet Jicama Salad
• Summery Quinoa Salad
• Zesty Carrot Garbanzo Usli
• Colorfully Crunchy Strawberry-Grape-Kale Salad
• Balsamic Caprese
• Carrot-Cucumber Kosumbari
• Tabbouli/Tabbouleh
• Kale-Pear-Turnip-Goat Cheese Salad
• Sprouted Moong-Cucumber Kosumbari Salad

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5 from 1 vote

Hearty Chaat Salad

Filled with a wide variety of veggies, fruits and beans, this Hearty Chaat Salad is sure to become your favorite desi salad!

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian, North Indian

Keyword chaat, chaat masala, mumbai street food, street food

Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 6 People

Calories 43kcal

Equipment

• 1 Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Garbanzo Beans - Cooked/Canned and drained
• 1/4 Cup Black-eyed Peas - Cooked/Canned and drained
• 1/4 Cup Black Beans - Cooked/Canned and drained
• 1/4 Cup Onion - Red Onion - Chopped fine
• 1/4 Red Bell Peppers - Chopped fine
• 1/4 Yellow Bell Peppers - Chopped fine
• 1/4 Red Grapes - Cut in Half
• 1/4 Apples - Granny Smith or Red
• 1/4 Cucumber - Small cubes
• 1 Tablespoon Cilantro - Fine Cut
• 1 Green Chili Pepper - Fine Cut - to taste
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chaat Masala
• 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Or to taste
• 3/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Lime Juice

Instructions

• Prep your beans. If making from dry beans, wash, drain and soak the beans for 8-10 hours. Cook for 10 minutes on High Pressure in an Instant Pot. If using canned beans, opt for BPA free packaging. Wash and drain the canned beans. Add to a large mixing bowl.
  
• Prep your veggies. Chop red onions, cucumber, apple, cilantro, green chili pepper and bell peppers (I used red and yellow) to the size you prefer. Slice red grapes in half, lengthwise. Add these to the mixing bowl.
  
• Add salt, red chili powder, lime juice and chaat masala to taste.
  
• Mix well until the spices and salt blend in with the veggies and fruits. Serve chilled or at room temperature. This salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2 days.
  

Notes

*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Hearty Chaat Salad

Amount per Serving

Calories

43

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.4

g

1

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.1

g

1

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Sodium

 

320

mg

14

%

Potassium

 

126

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

8

g

3

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

2

g

2

%

Protein

 

2

g

4

%

Vitamin A

 

236

IU

5

%

Vitamin C

 

18

mg

22

%

Calcium

 

13

mg

1

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.