4.3/5 rating (12 votes)

Watermelon and Feta Chaat

Indian Style Watermelon and Feta Salad

  • Heat Medium
  • Serves 6
  • Dietary Info VEGETARIAN HEALTHY
  • Prep 40 mins
  • Cook 15 mins

A summer Indian chaat made with cooling sweet watermelon and salty feta cheese topped with delicious spicy chutneys.

Hari says

Lets chat about chaat! See what I did there? Well, a chaat is a mouth-tingling Indian salad that is full to the brim with different textures, spices and flavour. You can practically make a chaat with anything but it has to be spicy, sweet, tangy, cooling, crispy, smooth and soft all at the same time - sounds complicated I know but it's also the best way to cool off in the summer.  

This version is inspired by a chaat I recently had at a restaurant in London where they used watermelon for the sweet and cooling elements. I tried it with some smooth and salty feta to add the creaminess and do you know what, this hybrid Greek-Indian salad rocks. 

When you put it together and tuck in, I want to know if it makes your taste buds sing!!!

  • Ingredients
  • Method

Paapri

  • 250g atta
  • salt pinch
  • 1 tsp ajwain
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil or ghee
  • 1/4 cup water

Green Chutney

  • Handful of coriander leaves
  • Handful of mint leaves
  • 1 green chilli
  • 5cm piece ginger
  • ½ tsp black rock salt
  • Salt, to taste
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Sweet Date and Tamarind Chutney

  • 85g seedless tamarind
  • 80g seedless dates
  • 40g grated jaggery (or brown sugar)
  • 450ml water
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
  • ½ tsp dry ginger powder
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp black salt, or rock salt

Spiced Watermelon

  • Half a watermelon, cubed
  • 200g block feta cheese, cubed
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • handful of mint leaves, sliced
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 2 tsp chaat masala powder
  • ¼ tsp red chilli powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp black salt
  • handful of crispy puffed rice and sev

Method

Paapri

  1. Add the flour to a bowl and mix in the salt and carom seeds.
  2. Add the oil and start to knead to form a dough pour in the water a little at a time until you have a soft dough. If it's sticky add a little more flour. Let it rest for 15 mins. Knead a little more to soften.
  3. Heat oven 200°c
  4. Take a ball and roll out to make a roti about 2-3mm thickness.
  5. With a fork make holes all over the surface of the rolled out roti.
  6. Using a cookie cutter cut out round discs and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  7. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, turning half way just until they turn golden (keep an eye on them).
  8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool until crisp. 

Green Chutney

  1. Place all the ingredients into a blender and blitz to make a chutney. Add a little water if required.

Sweet Date and Tamarind Chutney

  1. Put the tamarind, dates and water into a pan and cook for about 10 mins on a gentle heat.
  2. Add the jaggery and stir, and let it come to a boil. Once the jaggery has dissolved, the mixture will start to thicken. 
  3. Stir in all the spices and salt, and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
  5. Sieve the chutney mixture into a blender and grind until the chutney is smooth. Add a little water if required. This will keep in a clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Spiced Watermelon

  1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir.
  2. Taste and check the seasoning is good. 

To Serve

  1. Take individual papri crisps and pile on the watermelon and feta mix.
  2. Top with a blob of green chutney, a blob of sweet date and tamarind chutney
  3. Sprinkle a little of the puffed rice and sev on top

 

This goes well with

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