Aloo chaat from Nepal

Do you recognize that sometimes our taste bud gets influenced by our friend circle? It is true that our friends modify our culinary journey in a meaningful way, like my friend B, from Nepal. Until I met B, my knowledge about Nepali cuisine was limited to Momo and Thukpas, but now I have been enlightened a bit more. Few week's back B made this chaat on the eve of her daughter's Annaprashan and I was instantly smitten by this chaat ( or Aloo Achaar as they say in Nepalese cuisine)!
But hang on, Chaat and Achaar are not the same variety as per North Indian vocabulary. While Chaat can be loosely translated as tangy salad, Achaar on the other hand means pickle. Am not going to the debate of whether this dish should be called as Chaat or Achaar, but the truth be told, this is quite a "pick me up dish "according to me!

What intrigues me in the Nepali cuisine is their generous use of Seasame seeds. Roasted Seasame flavors delicious and I could never imagine that Seasame seed paste will go well with Aloo-Kakri chaat ( a salad of potato-cucumber). You might say there is nothing novel about a potato-cucumber chaat, but wait till you taste this dish and decide for yourself!

Apart from the nutty flavor, this dish boasts the goodness of green Moong sprouts, Pea sprouts! One might also add  crunchy carrots to further elevate the goodness!!

Without further ado here is the recipe :

Ingredients: ( serves 3-4 )

• Medium size potatoes 2 ( boiled and cubed, take care to ensure that the potatoes doesn't become mushy)
• 1 cucumber - cubed
• 1/4 cup Moong sprouts
• 1/4 cup Pea sprouts ( see notes on sprouts)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• One lemon
• 1/4 cup roasted Seasame seeds
• Chillies - 2 ( finely chopped)
• Rock salt
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• A pinch of fenugreek seeds

Process :

• Take a big bowl and combine all the veggies.
• Add lemon juice and rock salt and mix up everything
• Roast Seasame seed until they are lightly golden. Grind it to a fine powder and add it to the veggies
• Heat oil in a pan. Once it is ready, add Fenugreek seeds and lightly roast it. ( Don''t let it get heated too long, otherwise it will turn too bitter). Add this Fenugreek laced oil on the top of Chaat and mix everything together.

Serve at room temperature!

Notes :

Sprout forming is more easier when the temperature is around 70 F or mid 20 C. Soak a handful of Moong beans or Peas in water. Let it rest overnight. Once the Beans have swollen, take them away from water, wash well and let it rest again for another night. The Beans will germinate and sprout out.