Fruit Chaat | Cut Fruits | Fruit Salad

First of all I would like to wish all my readers and friends who are celebrating Eid - Eid Mubarak!!
I have seen this Fruit Chaat culture only in Bangalore and Mumbai. Do not get mistaken by the Delhi style Fruit Chaat, where the fruits and boiled potatoes/sweet potatoes are combined with various chutneys and served as a chaat- I plan to post that version later.

You would find the fruit carts almost in all busy public places like parks, markets etc. Fresh seasonal fruits are cut and various masalas are sprinkled on top and is topped with generous amount of honey. I used to enjoy these Cut fruits in Bangalore and I absolutely love the masala sprinkled on the top which makes the fruits tastier. After a few trials, I have come up with my own version of masala which complements the cut fruits nicely. This is not a precise replica of the masala which they use in Bangalore but somewhat closer in terms of taste.

When we plan for a simple and light meal, I opt for a Fruit chaat, provided I have various fruits at home. I love to add walnuts to the fruit chaat, me and TH ,both are big fans of walnuts and we both enjoy the texture of walnuts complementing the soft and juicy fruits. There are no hard and fast rules to prepare this chaat. I found the following combination of fruits make a balanced fruit chaat with various textures. One should not miss Banana in the fruit chaat. I have mentioned the combinations in detail in the recipe and in notes.

Fruit Chaat | Cut Fruits Recipe:

Serves 2-3

Prep time:10  mins | Cooking time:Nil | Total time:10 mins

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Chaats

Ingredients:

2 Bananas

1 cup of cut Watermelon or Papaya or Muskmelon

1 cup of cut Apple or Pineapple

1 ripen Mango,cut

1 Sweet lime(Mosambi) or Orange

2 Chikoos(optional,I did not use)

1/4 cup Pomegranate kernels or Green Grapes

10-12 Walnuts ,roughly chopped(optional)

2-3 tbsp Honey

for masala:

1/2 tsp Chaat masala

1/4 tsp Pepper powder,freshly ground

1/4 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Black Salt

1/8 tsp Salt

Method:

• Mix all the masalas mentioned in a bowl and keep it ready.
• Divide the various fruits equally among 2-3 bowls.
• Add chopped walnuts on top of the fruits.I used Pecans instead of walnuts here.You can use either of them or avoid them.
• Sprinkle two to three fat pinches of masala generously over the cut fruits and top it with a tbsp of honey all over the fruits.You can add more honey if you want.

Serve it immediately as a mid meal or a meal by itself.If you keep it for long it will leave water,hence sprinkle the masalas and honey just before serving.

Notes:

1. You can use any variety of fruits in your hand but I have mentioned the best combination of them. Try to balance the fruit varieties by choosing a citrus variety like orange or sweet lime and fleshy kind of fruits like mangoes, muskmelon, papaya and water content fruits like watermelon, apple, pomegranate. Banana is a must for a fruit chaat. Do not miss mangoes if you have them in hand.
2. The masala I have mentioned is my personal choice ,you can alter the quantities according to your wish.
3. Walnuts go really well with fruit chaat and hence I always add generous amount of walnuts,again its a personal choice. I did not have them at that moment,so used pecans instead.But it is optional to use them.

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