Every day after work, my abu would throw together a chaat with whatever was around. This afternoon chaat was his happy hour, and he wouldn’t even remove his shoes until he’d scarfed down a bowl. Chaat is a street food found throughout South Asia that can appear in a multitude of forms, from pani puri, which are crispy semolina shells filled with tart tamarind water, to bhel puri, a mix of puffed rice and peanuts dressed with fiery mustard oil. Anything can be a chaat as long as there’s a mix of crispy textures, acid, spice, and, of course, funky, salty chaat masala for seasoning. This chaat recipe is inspired by my father’s, and made with ingredients I have around during peak summer. Juicy ripe peaches, raw sweet corn, and roasted peanuts get tossed with aromatics and dressed in a perky nimbu pani, a spiced salty limeade. The whole thing is the perfect refreshing, recharging antidote to a day spent out in the sun. —Sohla El-Waylly
Ingredients
2 servings
2 ears of corn, husked
1 medium ripe peach, cut into ⅓” pieces
½ small red onion, cut into ⅓” pieces
2 green Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, very thinly sliced
1 1″ piece ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
⅓ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
⅓ cup salted roasted peanuts or other nut
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. sugar, divided
2½ tsp. chaat masala, divided
¼ cup fresh lime juice
⅓ cup aloo bhujia, sev, or crushed potato chips