A tangy tumble of pineapple, sweet potato and Padrón peppers, charred and spiced with bright vigour.

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.

Make the tandoori marinade

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.

Toss sweet potato and pineapple

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.

Prepare Padrón peppers and onions

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.

Char the sweet potato and pineapple (oven or grill)

In a very hot cast-iron skillet or directly on the grill, sear Padrón peppers for 3–5 minutes, turning often, until blistered and blackened in spots. Transfer to a bowl and cover loosely with foil for 5 minutes to steam slightly. This makes them tender and smoky.

Char Padrón peppers

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.

Combine components

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.

Dress and season

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.

Finish and add crunch

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.

plain yogurt (full fat)

garlic, minced

fresh ginger, grated

ground coriander

ground cumin

smoked paprika

ground turmeric

kashmiri red chili powder (or mild chili powder)

garam masala

lemon juice

salt

vegetable oil

pineapple, fresh, cut into 1-inch chunks

sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Padrón peppers (or shishito peppers)

red onion, thinly sliced

fresh cilantro, chopped

fresh mint leaves, chopped

maple syrup or honey

tamarind chutney

green chutney (cilantro-mint)

plain chaat masala

fresh lime (for zest and juice)

fine sev or crushed roasted peanuts (for crunch)

neutral oil for char/grilling

black salt (kala namak) or extra salt

TANDOORI CHAAT*

Make TANDOORI CHAAT* Recipe in just 45m. A tangy tumble of pineapple, sweet potato and Padrón peppers, charred and spiced with bright vigour.

Tandoori Chaat* Recipe

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