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Peanut and Fruit Salad/ Chaat

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EVENT: PEANUT AND FRUIT SALAD /CHAAT #FANTASTICAL FOOD FIGHT

What is a Peanut and Fruit Chaat?

While everyone knows what a salad is, for some chaat is a new word. Basically Chaat is an Indian Sub Continent word that is used to describe any dish that has a mixture of ingredients like fried chickpea flour noodles(sev), boiled lentils, chopped vegetables and fruits served with a hot chutney, a sweet date tamarind one or simply drizzled with lemon juice. There are just too many variations of chaat.

Trying to Eat Healthy

When you’re a food blogger and food is your passion, its pretty difficult to stay away from all those tempting recipes out there in the cyber world and cook books. I get tempted to try out so many recipes and the more calories it has the temptation level is that much higher!

Fantastical Food Fight

Recently I joined this group called Fantastical Food Fight. I got tempted to join after I saw the absolutely tempting cookies made by Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. After I oooooogled at the photos till I was drooling, she suggested that we should check out what other members of the group had made. I scrolled down and recipes had me salivating.

The Theme

Just when I joined, the theme for March happen to be PB&J (peanut butter and jelly).And I thought oh no here goes out the healthy eating… but as I read on further, Sarah Ellis (host of the group) mentioned that peanuts and fruit should be a part of the recipe. Phew!!!!!! I decided to make a super healthy peanut and fruit salad. Blessed with loads of tropical fruits here in Kenya, I used both mango and avocado, along with pomegranate to add a bit of tart taste. I soaked and cooked the peanuts with salt and turmeric powder.

Turmeric

As you all know, turmeric powder (haldi) is a must in any Indian’s spice box. Turmeric has been used for centuries in Indian cooking and also as medicine. I remember if any of us had a cut or bruises my mum would apply a paste of turmeric powder. If we had colds and coughs, warm water with turmeric and honey was our medicine. Want to more about turmeric and why it should be included in your daily diet, then without wasting much time, hop over to  eMediHealth. I’m sure you’ll find the article very useful.

How to use Turmeric?

Almost all my  side vegetables (shaak, sabji), curries and dals (lentil preparations) contain turmeric. Sometimes we add the powder to flatbreads too.

Peanut and Fruit Salad/Chaat

As I mentioned above, Indian homes include turmeric in almost all their dishes. So why not enjoy it in a salad? That’s why I boiled the peanuts with turmeric powder added to it.  If you get fresh turmeric then you may want to grate it and add it to the salad. 1 tsp of the grated turmeric should be enough. Coming to the  salad or chaat, add fruits of your choice like berries, grapes, nectarine etc, for a different taste.If you’re allergic to peanuts replace them with chickpeas. Just adding lemon juice to it makes the salad oil free and refreshing.

Dietary Tips:

PEANUT AND FRUIT SALAD(CHAAT)

Serves 2 as a meal and 4 as a side dish

½ cup raw peanuts
1 medium tomato or 10-12 cherry tomatoes
1 small avocado
1 small ripe mango(ripe but firm)
½ cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
½ cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
¼ cup chopped fresh spring onion (scallion)
½ tsp pink salt or sea salt or normal table salt
¼ tsp cumin seed powder
¼ tsp chilli flakes
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp lemon juice

  1. Soak the peanuts overnight in warm water.
  2. Next day drain out the water, wash the peanuts.
  3. Put the peanuts in a pan with enough water, ¼ tsp salt(from the measured salt) and turmeric powder. Cook the peanuts till done.( I used a pressure cooker and allowed the peanuts to cook till 1 whistle)
  4. Drain out the excess water and let the peanuts cool.
  5. In the meantime get the other ingredients ready. If you’re using a normal tomato, cut it into half and remove the pulp and seeds.Dice the tomato.
  6. Peel and dice the mango and avocado. Sprinkle a bit of lemon juice over the avocado.
  7. Put the peanuts, chopped fruits, chopped coriander and spring onion into a big serving bowl.
  8. Add remaining salt, chilli flakes, cumin powder and lemon juice.
  9. Mix the salad well. Serve as a light meal or as an accompaniment to a main meal. Super healthy and filling.
Tips:
  • If you don’t like boiled peanuts, use roasted but boiled ones taste much better for this salad.
  • If you’re allergic to peanuts, replace them with chickpeas.
  • Use fruits of your choice.
  • I haven’t used a dressing but you can add a dressing of your choice.
  • For cumin powder, roast the cumin seeds in a pan over low heat, till you get a grassy aroma. Don’t burn them. Cool a bit and powder it in a herb mill or using a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle.

Avoid Kitchen Waste:

  • Don’t throw away the turmeric water in which you boiled the peanuts. Save and it use up for soups, curries or dals (lentil curries)
  • Don’t throw away the  tomato seeds and pulp. Crush it and use it up in soups, curries or dals.
  • Convert the rest of the waste into compost.
Pin for later:

A little request:

If you do try this recipe then please either

  • add a comment below,
  • send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
  •  tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
  • or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962

Check out what other members have made for the PB&J theme:

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