Ever Since Cook'n in India was released, we've had dozens of requests for Chaat Masala. So, we thought we'd share some tips and a delicious recipe with all of our dear Cook'n Club members...
Chaat Masala spice mix, is typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, asafoetida and red pepper. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate or a banana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl, at chaat carts in India.
Chaat Masala has a pungent smell and tastes sweet, sour and pungent. It is used to flavour all the popular street foods of India like Bhel, Golgappa, Aloo Chaat and Dahi Sev Puri amongst many more. Ready and processed chaat masala is now available all around the world in specialty Indian and Asian grocery stores. Companies like 'MDH', 'Everest', 'Mangal' and 'Shan' have recently improved their distributions and are exporting their spice mixes and chaat masalas globally.
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
(Lobia ka Salaad)
Serves: 4
Black-eyed peas, called lobia, ravaan, or raungi, are often used in saucy curries, but they also make great snack salads, called chaat.
In India, you'll often find this salad served in disposable, biodegradable bowls made of dried coconut leaves.
In America, I serve them in one of Mother Nature's edible cups, the outer leaves of radicchio or butter lettuce.
1/2 teaspoon Chaat Masala or store-bought
1 cup blackeyed peas (lobia), sorted and washed and soaked overnight in 2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 large firm tomato, finely chopped
4 to 5 scallion, white parts only, minced
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves
1 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt (any kind), whisked until smooth
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
Several outer leaves of radicchio or butter lettuce, or about 3 cups shredded greens
1. Prepare the chaat masala. Then place the black-eyed peas and soaking water, turmeric, and salt in a medium nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until all the water evaporates, leaving behind beans that are soft and tender but not broken, about 1 hour. (Add more water during cooking, if necessary.)
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the tomato, scallions, ginger, mint, green chili pepper, and lime juice. Let cool, then mix in the yogurt.
3. Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander, ground cumin, black salt, and paprika, stir 30 seconds, and transfer to the black-eyed peas. Mix well. Present the salad in radicchio or butter lettuce cups, or mounded over a bed of shredded greens. Garnish with chaat masala, and serve at room temperature or chilled.
Download this recipe.
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