asty and healthy, the humble fruit can add value to your fruit chaat
Once upon a time in Delhi, if you didn’t find me at home, you would probably have spotted me at Yojana Bhavan, which was a stone’s throw away from where I lived. I enjoyed chatting with a gentleman who sold the most delicious fruit chaat next to the sprawling government office for planning in central Delhi. And I simply loved the chaat.
He used to take his time over mixing the fruit, ensuring that each fruit – guava, banana, papaya and what have you – was cut the way he wanted it. He would carefully place the cut fruit in a dona, mix some masalas and then deftly toss them all together. He would give it a good shake, squeeze a lime over it and then hand over the dona to me, with a toothpick placed daintily over one juicy piece of fruit. It took him almost 30 minutes to assemble the chaat.
Delightful tradition
Delhi has a delightful tradition of fruit chaat. I was reminded of the great chaats that I have eaten over the years when the talented and innovative chef, Nishant Choubey, told me that one of his favourite street food items was the fruit chaat. And since he loves to add new tastes to old dishes, he has given a suitable tweak to the chaat, prepared with sliced jamun.
The chef, who has started his own food consultancy called Swad Samudra, has given us the recipe for his jamun chaat. I liked that – for I like the jamun trees that line parts of Delhi (notably Ashok Road and Ferozeshah Road). Jamun is also good for the health and controls your blood sugar levels (or so I am told). But when the jamun is not in season, chef Choubey says we can use any fruit in its place.
Walled City version
I suppose the most famous fruit chaat wallah in Delhi is Bishan Swaroop in Chandni Chowk. His stall is next to Khadi Bhandar, not far from Natraj’s chaat corner. I first heard about Bishanji many years ago from the owner of Natraj. Bishan Swaroop’s speciality is that he mixes potatoes roasted on an oiled tawa with fruit such as grapes, apples and bananas.
He adds some home-made masalas and lemon juice to the chaat and a little bit of powdered sugar to balance out the flavours. I can still remember the yummy taste.
Fruit is good for us, and jamun is especially good. So, if it is still available in your market, go get some and make your own chaat. If not, use mixed fruit. You have nothing to lose but your inches.
Recipe:
Jamun Chaat
Ingredients:
300g jamun
80g cherry tomato
1 clove garlic
1 chilli
40g peanuts
1/4th tsp lemon juice
4tsp tamarind sauce
100ml tamarind juice
10g mushroom sauce
2tsp palm sugar
1tsp soya sauce
A pinch of chat masala
½ tsp salt
Method:
Deseed and slice the jamun. Cook tamarind juice with palm sugar and reduce it till it attains a sauce-like consistency.
Add soy sauce and season with salt. In a bowl, add jamun slices, garlic slices, chopped chilli, cherry tomato, crushed peanuts, lemon juice, mushroom sauce and chaat masala. Dress it with tamarind sauce. Serve chilled, garnished with fresh coriander leaves and a lemon wedge. This recipe can be used for any fruit which is seasonal