625. Peanut and Fruit Salad (Chaat)

Peanut and Fruit Salad(Chaat) #Fantastical Food Fight
Trying to eat healthy

   
   When you're a food blogger and food is your passion, its pretty difficult to stay away from all those tempting recipes out there in the cyber world and cook books. I get tempted to try out so many recipes and the more calories it has the temptation level is that much higher!
    
    Recently I joined this group called Fantastical Food Fight. I got tempted to join after I saw the absolutely tempting cookies made by Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories. After I oooooogled at the photos till I was drooling, she suggested that we should check out what other members of the group had made. I scrolled down and recipes had me salivating. 

    Just when I joined, the theme for March happen to be PB&J (peanut butter and jelly).And I thought oh no here goes out the healthy eating... but as I read on further, Sarah Ellis (host of the group) mentioned that peanuts and fruit should be a part of the recipe. Phew!!!!!! I decided to make a super healthy peanut and fruit salad. Blessed with loads of tropical fruits here in Kenya, I used both mango and avocado, along with pomegranate to add a bit of tart taste. I soaked and cooked the peanuts with salt and turmeric powder. As you all know, turmeric powder (haldi) is a must in any Indian's spice box. Turmeric has been used for centuries in Indian cooking and also as medicine. I remember if any of us had a cut or bruises my mum would apply a paste of turmeric powder. If we had colds and coughs, warm water with turmeric and honey was our medicine. Read the benefits of turmeric here.

PEANUT AND FRUIT SALAD(CHAAT)
½ cup raw peanuts
1 medium tomato or 10-12 cherry tomatoes
1 small avocado
1 small ripe mango(ripe but firm)
½ cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
½ cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
¼ cup chopped fresh spring onion (scallion)
½ tsp pink salt or sea salt or normal table salt
¼ tsp cumin seed powder
¼ tsp chilli flakes
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Soak the peanuts overnight in warm water.
2. Next day drain out the water, wash the peanuts. 
3. Put the peanuts in a pan with enough water, ¼ tsp salt(from the measured salt) and turmeric powder. Cook the peanuts till done.( I used a pressure cooker and allowed the peanuts to cook till 1 whistle)
4. Drain out the excess water and let the peanuts cool.
5. In the meantime get the other ingredients ready. If you're using a normal tomato, cut it into half and remove the pulp and seeds.Dice the tomato.
6. Peel and dice the mango and avocado. Sprinkle a bit of lemon juice over the avocado.
7. Put the peanuts, chopped fruits, chopped coriander and spring onion into a big serving bowl.
8. Add remaining salt, chilli flakes, cumin powder and lemon juice. 
9. Mix the salad well. Serve as a light meal or as an accompaniment to a main meal. Super healthy and filling.

Tips:

• If you don't like boiled peanuts, use roasted but boiled ones taste much better for this salad.
• Use fruits of your choice.
• I haven't used a dressing but you can add a dressing of your choice.
• For cumin powder, roast the cumin seeds in a pan over low heat, till you get a grassy aroma. Don't burn them. Cool a bit and powder it in a herb mill or using a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle.

Check out what other members have made for the PB&J theme:

An InLinkz Link-up

Sending this recipe for to the following event: