In the next several months, I will challenge myself to make this dish even though Ramadan (the month of fasting), has come to an end. As per tradition in my family, fruit chaat is made almost daily during this month. So much so, that my sister strongly believes that this dish can only be enjoyed when breaking the fast. But truth be told, the combination of several delightful and ripe fruits, sweet syrup and the addition of some roasted coriander powder to enhance the flavors, ensures that this dish can be enjoyed anytime! I recently took this dish to an Iftar gathering (meal eaten after sunset which marks the breaking of the fast), and it was graciously devoured. So all those asking for the recipe, here it is!
This recipe is very seasonal. I don’t think there is a single fruit that you cannot add to this mix. The fruits that I have included (and through trial and error, I can gladly say, I think this combination is just divine!), are fresh apples, cherries, green grapes, peaches, clementines, pomegranate seeds, strawberries, ripe mangoes and just before serving, sliced, ripe bananas. I also add chunks of pineapples, sliced peaches and mandarin oranges in syrup. Feel free to modify the recipe to your liking!
Fruit Chaat – Spiced Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz green grapes
- 16 oz ripe strawberries
- 12 oz cherries
- 4 apples *Red Delicious, Fuji, Gala
- 1 large fairly ripe peach
- 2 clementines
- 3 ripe mangoes
- 1 pomegranate *deseeded
- 2 ripe bananas
- 15 oz pineapple chunks in syrup *Dole
- 15 oz mandarin oranges in syrup
- 15 oz sliced peaches in syrup
- 1 tbsp coriander powder *roasted and finely ground
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp black pepper *finely ground
- 1 tbsp orange concentrate
- 2 tsp fruit syrup *pineapple syrup
- 1 lemon *freshly squeezed on cut apples
Instructions
For Cutting Fruits
- Wash and dry all fruit properly and thoroughly, as needed. Needless to say, your hands should be super clean when preparing this dish, as is true for any dish.
- First cut the cherries and place in a bowl. Deseed the pomegranate and add the pomegranate seeds to the bowl with cut cherries. Place saran wrap and set aside.
- Peel the clementines, remove slices and cut the slices into halves and place in another bowl. Cut grapes into halves and add to bowl. Cut strawberries into small slices and add to bowl. Peel and cut fresh, fairly ripe peach into small pieces and add to bowl. Place saran wrap and set aside.
- Remove all syrup from mandarin oranges and sliced peaches. We will not be using these syrups. Once syrup has been strained, cut the mandarin oranges and sliced peaches into halves and place in a bowl. Strain the pineapple chunks in a separate bowl and set pineapple syrup aside. Cut pineapple chunks into halves and add to bowl with cut mandarin oranges and peaches. We will use some of the strained pineapple syrup later on.
- Peel the mangoes and cut into small pieces. Place in separate bowl, cover with saran wrap and set aside.
- Peel the apples (one at a time, and cut into small pieces before peeling next apple), squeeze some lemon juice on each apple before cutting into small pieces to prevent browning of the apples. Once all apples are cut in a separate small bowl, squeeze any remaining lemon juice on top and then cover with saran wrap and set aside.
For Assembling Dish
- In serving dish (a large, white, round dish works nicely), add all fruits starting with the bowl of cut grapes, clementines, strawberries and peaches. Now add the cherries and pomegranate seeds. Add the mangoes. Add the mandarin oranges, pineapples and peaches. And lastly, add the apples. Add the salt, sugar, orange concentrate and pineapple syrup. Gently mix to combine all fruits and incorporate flavors. Now add the coriander powder (evenly sprinkled). Gently mix to coat all fruit with seasonings. Place saran wrap and put in fridge for 1-2 hours (or until ready to serve). Just before serving, add two sliced, ripe bananas on top.
- Nosh Farma'aiye. Enjoy!