Seasonal Fruit Chaat
Fruit chaat, a spiced fruit salad, is a ubiquitous iftar fruit dish, present on pretty much every South Asian iftar table. You could argue that there really is no recipe for chaat and if there was, the variations would number in the hundreds if not thousands, as it changes with the seasons and according to each family’s taste. Traditionally, in India and Pakistan, fruit chaat, a type of spiced fruit salad, is made with apples, oranges, bananas, and guava, if they are in season. But the vital part of what makes chaat is the chaat masala.
Ingredients
- 2 medium oranges
- 2 medium apricots, halved and pitted
- 1 medium peach or nectarine, halved and pitted
- 6 large strawberries, stems removed
- 12 cherries, pitted
- 6 ounces blueberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons chaat masala (see Recipe Note)
- 3 medium bananas
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
- Cut around the oranges to remove the peel and the white pith. Slice the oranges, then cut into small dice. Place in a large bowl.
- Cut the bananas, apricots, peach or nectarine, and strawberries into small dice (the same size as the oranges) and add to the bowl.
- Quarter the cherries and add to the bowl. Add the blueberries and chaat masala, toss gently to combine, and let sit to macerate 5 to 10 minutes.
- Peel and thinly slice the bananas. Add the bananas and mint to the bowl, and mix gently to combine.