AVOCADO AMARANTH BHEL PURI CHAAT

SERVES: 3 TO 4

TIME: 30 MINUTES

Easy Indian-Latin fusion cuisine starts with this fun salad built from purchased bhel puri mix combined with Latin staples such as avocado, black beans, and home-popped amaranth and dressed with a spicy tamarind maple dressing.

TAMARIND MAPLE VINAIGRETTE

3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon salt

BHEL PURI SALAD

2 cups bhel puri mix

¼ cup uncooked amaranth

½ cup chopped roasted, unsalted cashews

1 ripe avocado, diced

1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ripe mango, diced

1 medium-size red onion, finely diced

½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon garam masala, for garnish

1 Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the bhel puri mix into a large mixing bowl. Pop the amaranth as directed in Guts ’n’ Glory Granola (page 159), then add to the mix along with the cashews.

2 Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl, then pour the dressing over and fold to moisten the bhel puri. Mound the salad into high piles in serving bowls, divide the garam masala among the servings, and sprinkle it on top. Serve immediately, before the crunchy bhel puri and popped amaranth become soggy.

 

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Bhel puri is a classic Indian street food snack (chaat), a crunchy blend of fried chickpea noodles, puffed rice, fried peas, and other goodies garnished with fresh herbs and tangy chutneys. The dry mix for this chaat, a blend of spicy fried noodles and crisped rice packed in American-style snack food bags, can be found on Indian grocery shelves. While shopping in the Indian grocery, make sure to pick up the tamarind concentrate and garam masala needed for this recipe.

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