Potato Chaat Salad with Yogurt, Tamarind, and Pomegranate

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Whenever I go to a new place, the first thing I seek out is the local street food. Honestly, I typically plan my entire trip around where I can eat. We already know street food is extremely popular all over the world, but nothing beats the Indian street food I grew up eating. (I’m a little biased!) It’s cheap, flavorful and easily available everywhere. Honestly, it’s how I got through college! Every city has its specialties and unique ways of preparing dishes, but there are certain ingredients and condiments that are standard.

When it comes to chutney, there is always a spicy green chutney that’s made with cilantro, mint, cumin, chilies and lime juice. There’s also usually a sweet yogurt sauce and tangy tamarind chutney. Other ingredients in chaat include boiled or fried potatoes, fried chickpea noodles, puffed rice, chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, green chilies and chaat masala. There are tons of dishes under the street food umbrella, but this summer I wanted to make a potato salad that was similar to the traditional American version. I felt that “aloo chaat,” which consists of potatoes topped with all of the above condiments and ingredients, was the closest. 

Before we get into the recipe I would like to explain chaat masala. It is a funky, pungent-smelling spice mix that makes street food in India so addictive and delicious. A little spicy and tangy, it activates your taste buds making you salivate! Apart from topping it on fruit, we also sprinkle it on a bunch of savory vegetable dishes. It is a special spice mix that I highly recommend that you include in your pantry. 

This fairly simple recipe requires some prep beforehand, but it’s super easy to put together. I tried cooking the potato three different ways to make this salad. While fried and baked potatoes tasted very good, they did not have the same fluffy mouth feel you get when eating a salad that uses boiled potatoes. Once the potatoes have cooled, break them into chunks and fold in dry spices, tamarind chutney and yogurt (no mayo here!). 

Sweet, tangy, spicy and all kinds of delicious, this Indian Potato Chaat Salad is truly a crowd pleaser!

 

Recipe and Headnote Rachel Gurjar

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  • Recipe Card
Prep time 15mins
Cook time 40mins
Serves or Makes: 5-6

Recipe Card

For the Potato Salad

ingredients

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder, plus more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons tamarind chutney
  • 3 tablespoons Green Chutney, recipe below
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, freshly chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons sev, fried chickpea noodles
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, for garnish

To Make the Potato Salad

Method

  • Step 1

    In a pot, add potatoes and cover with cold water. Season with salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Drain and let cool completely. Use your hands to break potatoes into medium size chunks.

  • Step 2

    In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, lime juice and sugar together, set aside.

  • Step 3

    To the potatoes, add cayenne, cumin, chaat masala and salt and fold to incorporate spices. Fold in 1 cup of the yogurt mixture and 2 tablespoons of the tamarind chutney.

  • Step 4

    To assemble, spoon the potato mixture into a serving bowl. Drizzle remaining ½ cup yogurt mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon tamarind chutney and green chutney. Garnish with cilantro, red onion, chopped tomatoes, sev and pomegranate arils. Serve immediately.

For the Green Chutney

ingredients

  • 1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves washed and drained
  • 3 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons Simply Organic Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 limes, juiced

To Make the Green Chutney

  • Step 1

    Transfer all ingredients and 2 tablespoons water into a blender and blend until smooth.