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Kulle chaat
कुल्ले चाट (kulle chaat): hollowed cucumber, tomato, potato and banana cups filled with spiced chickpeas and pomegranate
Kulle chaat comes from the lanes of Chandni Chowk around Chawri Bazar, where a couple of old stalls carve fruit and vegetables into little cups and fill them with chickpeas, pomegranate and lime. It is the cooling chaat of Delhi's scorching summer afternoons: no frying, no yoghurt, just juicy, crunchy cups dusted with chaat masala and black salt. Children love picking them up whole. Chef's tip: season the inside of each empty cup with lime and chaat masala before filling, so every bite is tangy right through.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the cups
- 2 medium potatoesboiled in their skins, peeled and cooled
For the filling
- 7 oz cooked chickpeasdrained
- 2 ⅛ oz pomegranate seeds
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 ½ tsp chaat masala
- ½ tsp black salt (kala namak)
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- ⅓ oz fresh corianderfinely chopped
- ⅛ oz fresh mint (optional)finely chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cut 1 thick cucumber into 4 cm lengths and scoop out the seedy middle of each with a teaspoon, leaving a 1 cm base. Common mistake: scooping right through the bottom; the cup will leak.
5 minStep 2: Halve 2 large firm tomatoes crosswise and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Halve 2 medium potatoes and hollow each half with a melon baller or teaspoon, keeping the scooped potato.
6 minStep 3: Peel 1 just-ripe banana, cut into 5 cm lengths and scoop a small hollow from the top of each.
2 minStep 4: Lay all the cups on a platter. Brush the insides with half the 2 tbsp lime juice and sprinkle with half the 1 ½ tsp chaat masala.
Step 5: Finely chop the scooped potato and cucumber and mix with 7 oz cooked chickpeas, 2 ⅛ oz pomegranate seeds, 1 green chilli, ½ tsp black salt (kala namak), 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, ⅓ oz fresh coriander, ⅛ oz fresh mint and the remaining lime and chaat masala.
5 minStep 6: Pile the filling into the cups, letting it mound up, and serve straight away while the vegetables are cool and crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kulle chaat take?
- About 25 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of thick cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of large firm tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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