Nourish | Peanut chaat boasts bold flavors and a gratifying crunch

This recipe has all the qualities that make a snack irresistible. It’s alluringly colorful, has a gratifying crunch, and boasts sweet, spicy, tangy, and salty flavors that pop with the energy of a dance party. You might associate such a can’t-stop-won’t-stop snack with packaged puffs laden with artificial flavors and food dyes, but this one is made with the most healthful ingredients: vegetables, fruit, legumes, herbs, citrus, and spices.

Based on a recipe from food writer Khushbu Shah’s exciting and accessible debut cookbook, Amrikan, peanut chaat is a dish, Shah writes, that “my mom often makes me when I tear into the kitchen hangry, in need of a snack that has some actual substance but isn’t too heavy.”

It’s a cinch to pull together. Just chop some red bell pepper, cucumber, and onion (or any crunchy vegetables you have on hand, such as carrot, jicama, radish, or celery), then toss with pomegranate seeds or diced apple, peanuts, a squeeze of lemon, and two special seasonings: chaat masala and Kashmiri red chili powder. You might not have these in your pantry yet, but I guarantee that once you try them, you’ll want them on hand all the time.

Shah describes the lip-smacking spice mix chaat masala as “that person you always invite to a party simply because they make any room they are in fun,” and I totally agree. In the book, she offers an easy recipe for a homemade version but also gives readers the go-ahead to use store-bought.

I’ve sprinkled the chaat masala on popcorn (yum!), used the Kashmiri chili powder in soups and rubs, and have thrown together this chaat recipe multiple times, often winging the proportions to make a quick bite for myself, or halving the recipe to serve a couple of friends (it needs to be eaten immediately).

This festive explosion of flavor and color makes for an ideal afternoon nibble or party appetizer, which, as Shah puts so well, “is essentially a salad disguised as a snack.”

This easy, no-cook peanut chaat, a type of Indian snack or appetizer, is crunchy, sweet, spicy, tangy, and salty. With this recipe from food writer Khushbu Shah’s cookbook, Amrikan, you can substitute any crunchy vegetables you like, such as carrot, jicama, or radish, or use diced apple instead of the pomegranate.

Servings: 6 (makes about 4 cups)

Total time: 15 minutes

Storage note: The chaat is best eaten as soon as it's made; it does not store well.

Notes: Chaat masala, a spice blend, is available at Indian markets and online.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pomegranate seeds

1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced cucumber (any kind)

1/2 cup diced white onion

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)

2 teaspoons chaat masala (see Where to buy and Notes)

1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

Fine salt (optional)

Directions

In a medium bowl, gently stir together the pomegranate seeds, peanuts, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, and cilantro until combined. Add the lemon juice, chaat masala, and chili powder, and gently toss to combine. Taste, season with salt, if desired, and serve right away.

Substitutions: Bell pepper or cucumber >> any crunchy vegetables you like, such as carrot, jicama or radish. Pomegranate seeds >> diced apple. White onion >> red onion. Peanuts >> chopped unsalted, roasted cashews. Kashmiri chili powder >> conventional chili powder.

Notes: To make your own chaat masala blend, combine 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder, 1/4 teaspoon kala namak (black salt), 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Nutritional information per serving (2/3 cup) | 196 Calories: 17g Carbohydrates, 0mg Cholesterol, 13g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 5g Fiber, 7g Protein, 130mg Sodium, 9g Sugar

Adapted by cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger from “Amrikan” by Khushbu Shah (Norton, 2024).

Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian nutritionist and cookbook author who hosts public television’s “Ellie’s Real Good Food.” Learn more at www.elliekrieger.com.