Butternut Squash Chaat
Butternut Squash is my new favorite fall vegetable. It’s basically a less sweet version of a yam or sweet potato. I’ve gotten a butternut squash almost every trip to the grocery store this fall. My favorite way to prepare butternut squash is to chop it up, sprinkle evoo with s + p, and roast it in the oven. Sometimes I’ll top the butternut squash with goat cheese and balsamic glaze for extra flavor. This time, I added the roasted butternut squash in chaat, and it was a party in my mouth.
Chaat is a tangy-salty snack/appetizer from India, usually at roadside food stalls. Chaat comes from the Hindi word chaatna which means “to lick one’s fingers while eating,” since most chaats are messy and handheld items. There are many different varieties of chaat including, aloo chaat, samosa chaat, bhel puri, and pani puri. Most of these dishes have a lot of common ingredients: chaat masala (a salty blend of different spices), potatoes, cilantro, sev (fried chickpea flour noodles), yogurt, and lots of different chutneys.
Butternut squash chaat is a fall twist on my aloo chaat recipe. Simply substitute the potatoes (aloo) with butternut squash (or yams/sweet potates) and garnish with pomegranate seeds. It’s a perfect fusion dish for the holidays: You get a roasted fall vegetable in a popular Indian appetizer. All of the different flavors are a party in your mouth 😊
Butternut Squash Chaat
Ingredients
- 1/2 butternut squash chopped
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 4 small tomatoes diced
- 2 tbsp chaat masala
- 4 tsp tamarind chutney
- 4 tsp cilantro chutney
- 1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
- 1 cup sev garnishing
- cilantro garnishing
- pomegranate seeds garnishing
Instructions
- Toss chopped butternut squash in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast butternut squash at 350 F for 50 minutes.
- In a large bowl mix the butternut squash, chickpeas, onions, and tomatoes.
- Sprinkle chaat masala and stir mixture.
- Divide into 4 plates. Drizzle 1 tsp tamarind chutney ,1 tsp cilantro chutney, and 1/4 cup yogurt.
- Garnish with sev, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds.
- Enjoy!