Tandoori Chaat

Pineapple, sweet potato and padrón peppers are charred, limed, dusted and sparked to life.

Prep: 10 minutes

Total: 55 minutes

Blistering vegetables, hard chars, sprays of lime and a dusting of spice, amidst thick smoke. Chaat carts line the streets of Bombay, nourishing passersby with simple, delicious and cheap sustenance. Embers glow. Tastebuds ignite.

Originally a gift from the North, chaat has found a beloved home in Bombay and thrives on resourcefulness; Chaat-wallas roast everything from vegetables to fruit – watermelon, apple and sweet potato are much-loved.

Our Tandoori Chaat is very much inspired by this – pineapple, sweet potato and padrón peppers are charred, limed, dusted and sparked to life. All-new and all-perky for trying! Either at home or in any Dishoom as part of the new menu.

Ingredients

3 servings

1 large sweet potato

4 thick slices of pineapple, cut into large chunks

6 Padrón peppers

Melted butter, for basting

2 pinches chaat masala

2 pinches red chilli powder

1 lime, juiced

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 tsp tamarind pulp

Salt and black pepper

METHOD

Step 1

Parboil the unpeeled sweet potato in a pan of salted boiling water for 10–15 minutes. It should be just tender, not overcooked, to grill later on. Once boiled, leave to cool, then peel off the skin. Cut into chunks and set aside.

Step 2

Make the dressing by blending everything together until nicely emulsified and set aside.

Step 3

Heat a barbecue or griddle pan over a high heat. Add the sweet potato, pineapple and Padrón peppers. Turn everything and baste occasionally with melted butter until charred. (You can also do this under a grill.)

Step 4

Tip the fruit and veg into a bowl and add 2 tbsp of the lime and chilli dressing, the chaat masala, red chilli, tamarind pulp and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 5

Serve with a garnish of coriander, lime wedges and fried chana dal or Bombay mix.