Fruit chaat – Pakistani fruit salad is a staple diet during
the month of fasting. No Iftaar table in
Pakistan is complete without a large bowl of Fruit Chaat. It is quick and
simple to make and is packed with all the right things needed after hours of
fasting. Pakistanis love their sweet and savory chaats. That’s why one can
always find road side vendors selling these all over Pakistan.
City of Lahore and
Karachi both have their own particular versions of chaats. Everyone I know has their own
favorite chaat place in their respective cities. Every household has their own
unique recipe for this fruit salad. The shopping trips with friends, aunties and
ammies usually conclude with gossip sessions over a plate of fruit chaat or
dahi Bhalay at their favorite eatery. We
Pakistanis love our fruit chaats.
My version of fruit chaat has lesser sugar than the usual. I
enjoy the natural sweetness of the fruits served in balance with a hint of
spice. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
Bananas 2 – peeled/ sliced (Add 1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon
juice to the sliced bananas to save them from discoloring).
Apples – 2 – peeled /diced
Oranges /Malta/ Kinos – 2, peeled, each slice cut in half.
Deseeded.
Fresh Orange Juice –
250 mls
Guavas – 2, Deseeded- diced.
Fresh Pomegranate seeds – 1 cup
Salt – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1 tbsp
Chaat Masala – 1 tsp heaped. (Use your preferred brand. I
make my own blend).
Method:
Add all the fruit in a bowl.
Add the sugar, salt & chaat masala.
Add freshly squeezed orange juice.
Mix the fruit and let it sit for 15 mins before serving. You
can dust it with a bit more chaat masala and a few leaves of fresh mint as
garnish.
