Is healthy snacking a paradox? Not necessarily. Snack smart, by choosing the right ingredients without sacrificing taste.
If you have been to an Indian restaurant a very popular dish is the “crispy spinach chaat.” Its a twist on a popular Indian street food – chaat – which is basically a loose term for a collection of sweet/savory dishes that are usually found in roadside stalls in India. While the taste is impeccable, it is not necessarily the healthiest option. However, I am presenting to you a healthier alternative where we forego the extra calories by substituting baked kale chips for the breaded deep fried spinach. You can also, skip the bhel mixture and add more peanuts for a low carb, high protein.
Kale is among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet! So why not make it the main ingredient in snacking? I start this recipe by baking kale which in itself is a tasty treat.
Once baked, they texture is very similar to that of chips, which is why it is a great ingredient to use in the chaat. The crispiness can standup to the mint and tamarind chutney without wilting and becoming soggy. An added benefit is that kale is loaded with powerful antioxidants like Quercetin and Kaempferol.
While the kale is baking, it is a great time to put together the remaining ingredients. I chop up all the veggies and add it to a bowl.
It is very important to dress the veggies with some citric acid and spices. This technique helps really melds the flavors together when assembled with the other ingredients. I add some chaat masala to the mixture.
I also squeeze half a lemon to infuse the flavors.
Ingredients
- Kale Chips
- 1 bag of chopped Kale
- Coconut Oil Spray
- Salt and Pepper
- Veggie Mixture
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1 mango diced
- 1 chili diced (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup cilantro diced
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- 1/2 tsp salt
- squeeze of lemon
- Mint Chutney (store bought or homemade is ok)
- Mint
- corriander
- ginger
- garlic
- cumin seeds
- chili
- salt
- Amchur or dried pomegranate seeds
- Tamarind Chutney (store bought or homemade is ok)
- 1 cup tamarind juice
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- Roasted peanuts
- 1/2 cup raw peanuts
- 2 tbsp oil
- Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread kale on baking sheet and spray with coconut oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.
Roast the peanuts by heating the oil in a pan on medium. Add peanuts and toss until they become golden and slightly roasted.
Mix together all the ingredients under veggie mixture in a bowl and keep aside.
Assemble the chaat by tossing the kale chips, veggie mixture, 2 tbsp of mint chutney, and 2 tbsp of tamarind chutney. Add 1/2 cup of bhel mixture (optional). Top with roasted peanuts.
