Fruit chaat/ Indian Fruit Salad

Fruit chaat is a simple Indian style fruit salad that is easy to make and addictive! Indian fruit chaat has a surprising twist- a mild spice kick that is a delicious and fun way to enjoy fruits. For a south Indian like me, chaats are always associated, with North Indian street food. There are so many varieties of chaats and what makes it unique is the chaat masala. It adds a hint of spice and tang. The flavor that chaat masala adds to food is hard to recreate. It is a tangy, and peppy flavored spice mix. A little goes a long way, so add a pinch of this magic spice. Chilled fruit chaat has a cooling effect, especially during the hot summer months. It is a great eating experience and a perfect way to enjoy seasonal fruits.

Fruit chaat is perfect for entertaining and is a light and filling snack or appetizer. Like the Mexican fruit salsa, you can serve it as a side with roasted or barbecued meat. This simple fruit salad is flavored with cumin, chaat masala, mint, and lemon juice. The first time I tasted fruit salad was in Delhi, and I fell in love with this flavorful fruit snack. This salad is customizable. Use any seasonal fruit like apple, oranges, pear, berries, papaya, pineapple, guava, banana, grapes, etc. In some fruit chaats, you will find boiled, and roasted potatoes, chickpeas, etc. The protein makes fruit chaats more filling and nutritious.

The magic spice mix- Chaat Masala

If you are new to chaat masala, you should give it a try. You will find chaat masala in Indian grocery stores, and there are a million ways in which you can use this spice blend. Chaat masala adds an extra zing. It’s usually sprinkled over all kinds of street food, vadas, tikkis, chaat, sandwiches, and salads. Chaat masala is a spice mix that contains a blend of amchoor (or green mango powder), pomegranate seed powder (anardana), cumin, ginger, black salt, and black pepper. Dry mango powder and pomegranate seeds add sourness, and black salt is known for its pungent flavor. For the fruit chaat make a spice blend of chilly powder (or pepper powder), chaat masala, cumin powder, salt, and sugar. Add according to your taste preference. Give this sweet and spicy fruit chaat a try, you will surely love it.

Fruit chaat/ Indian Fruit Salad

Ingredients
Apple-2 medium
Banana- 1
Mango chopped- 1 cup
Black or green grapes- 1 cup
Pomegranate seeds- 3 tbs
Orange- 1
Strawberries chopped- 1/2 cup
Mint leaves chopped- 5-6
Lemon juice- 1/2 lemon
( or orange juice- 2 tbs)
Sugar- 1 tbs
Honey-1 tsp (optional)
Chilly powder- 1/8 tsp
Chaat Masala- 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder- 1/8 tsp
Black salt- a pinch (optional)

(Other optional ingredients are boiled roasted potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes or chickpeas)

Chop all the fruits and add them to a bowl. I used around 4 cups of cut/diced fruits. You can chop it finely or into bite-sized pieces. Add chopped banana just before serving. Add chopped mint leaves, honey, and lemon juice and mix well.
In a small bowl, stir together chaat masala, cumin powder, chilly powder,Kala namak (rock salt), and sugar. You may also use black pepper instead of chilly powder. Sprinkle this over the fruits and toss well. Let the flavor mix in for few minutes. Serve fresh or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish the fruit chaat with mint leaves and serve chilled.