
Tandoori Chaat* Recipe
A tangy tumble of pineapple, sweet potato and Padrón peppers, charred and spiced with bright vigour.
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Ingredients
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Tandoori marinade & spice mix
Primary produce & vegetables
Finishing & chaat elements
Method
Tandoori marinade & spice mix
Make the tandoori marinade
In a medium bowl combine the yogurt, minced garlic, grated ginger, ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Whisk until smooth and fully combined. Taste and adjust salt or lemon for bright acidity. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of this marinade separately for drizzling later.
Prepare vegetables & fruit
Toss sweet potato and pineapple
Place the cubed sweet potato and pineapple chunks in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade (or enough to lightly coat), 1 tablespoon neutral oil and 1/4 teaspoon black salt. Toss to coat evenly. The light coating will help spice adhesion and encourage caramelization when charred.
Prepare Padrón peppers and onions
Toss the Padrón peppers with 1 teaspoon neutral oil and a pinch of salt. Place the thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes if you want it milder, then drain well.
Char / roast
Char the sweet potato and pineapple (oven or grill)
Preheat a grill or broiler to high (or oven to 220°C / 425°F). Spread sweet potato cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer; roast 12–15 minutes, turning once, until edges brown and tender. Add pineapple to the sheet for the last 8–10 minutes and roast until charred at the edges and caramelized. If grilling, skewer or place on a grill pan and char for similar times, turning to get even charring.
Assemble the chaat
Combine components
In a large mixing bowl gently combine the charred sweet potato, charred pineapple, blistered Padrón peppers (halve larger peppers and remove seeds if desired), and drained red onion. Add chopped cilantro and mint. Toss gently to mix.
Dress and season
Add tamarind chutney (2 tbsp) and green chutney (2 tbsp) to the bowl and drizzle the reserved 3 tablespoons of tandoori-yogurt marinade (or to taste). Add maple syrup (1 tsp) to balance acidity and 1/2 tsp black salt (or regular salt) and 1 tsp chaat masala. Squeeze half a lime over the mixture and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust chutney, salt or lime as needed.
Finish and add crunch
Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle fine sev or crushed roasted peanuts (1/4 cup) over the top for crunch. Optionally add extra cilantro leaves and a light dusting of chaat masala. If you reserved any yogurt marinade, drizzle a little more over each portion for creaminess.
Serve
Serve warm or at room temperature as a tangy, smoky chaat. Provide extra lime wedges, tamarind and green chutney on the side for guests to customize. Best eaten the same day; reheating will soften the sev/crunch element so add fresh before serving if making ahead.





