Oftentimes, we get so rigid with our ingredients that we forget to acknowledge, let alone appreciate their versatility. We keep berries aside for desserts, spices for stews and roasts etc as if someone handed us down the formula and we must stick to it at all costs. Sure, it yields you a phenomenal dish, but for something extraordinary, you have to think out of the box. Take for instance the cherries that sit pretty on top of your cakes, on Monday, celebrity chef Vicky Ratnani used Chilean cherries to demonstrate how they can be used to rustle up something even more cherishable.
In a virtual masterclass organised by the Chilean Cherry Committee of ASOEX, the chef extraordinaire made us view cherries in a whole new light. We liked how, he deliberately picked recipes that are so inherently desi, which helped us warm up to the fruit even more. While one of his recipes was a unique chaat (Chilean Cherry & Portobello Mushroom chaat), the other was a gourmet spin to Haldi Doodh (Turmeric Doodh Cherry Clafoutis)
If you carefully look at the recipe of the chaat, it has most of the elements you associate with a quintessential Indian chaat such as coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, chaat masala, and lemon juice, and all of these blend perfectly with pitted Chilean cherries that bring in a lovely sweetness to the chaat, the spongy mushrooms, and fresh spring onions.
The chaat is so ridiculously easy to prepare, that you can make it pretty much every day. Just sautee some mushrooms, chillies, cherries, spring onion etc, finish it up with some coriander leaves and lemon juice, then make the cherry yogurt dressing for the chaat and enjoy.
Chilean Cherry & Portobello Mushroom chaat
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp Spring onions
- 1/2 tsp Chopped red chillies
- 1 cup Sliced/quartered mushrooms
- 1 cup Pitted Chilean Cherries
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
- Turmeric pinch
- 1/2 tsp Chaat masala
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in the pan, throw the spring onions, ginger, mirch, and red chillies, add the mushrooms and the cherry then add the spices, toast well, seasoned to taste and sprinkle with lemon juice and finish it fresh coriander.
For the Cherry yogurt dressing:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 3-4 pitted Chilean Cherries, salt to taste, chaat masala 1/2 tsp, cumin powder a pinch and red chilli powder ½ tsp. Blend all of the above to make the cherry yogurt dressing and for the tamarind cherry, take ½ cup of tamarind chutney. 3-4 cherries. Salt and pepper to taste and ½ tsp of chaat masala so all the 3 elements are there. Spoon the chaat on the plate and then swirl both the yogurt and chutney and finish with fresh coriander.