Potato and Green Bean Chaat Salad

I wasn't quite sure what to call this spiced up vegetable stir-fry, but it really is rather like a dry side salad, so a salad it is. I cooked up a three course Indian meal and this delightful little dish made up the vegetable component of the dinner. It's incredibly easy to make, and if you want to save time, roast or boil your potatoes the evening before or in the morning before you really get down to kitchen business.

Chaat — or chat — masala is essential in this dish, and can easily be made in your own kitchen (see this recipe here) or purchased from Indian grocery stores. Overall, this dish is rather mild on the heat side, making it a lovely and tempering accompaniment with some zesty flare to a spicy butter paneer masala. I also served a split mung and basmati rice kitcheree. It was a fine meal that was rather a homage to the culinary traditions of northern India.

This would be a good salad to take along for an outdoor outing as it contains no dairy and won't spoil as quickly in the hot sun as many other potato salads do that are dressed with mayonnaise or include cheese.

Indian-Style Potato and Green Bean Chaat Salad

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 7, 2013 Simple, zesty and tangy Indian spiced potato and green bean salad with chaat masala — a colorful and delicious accompaniment to any Indian meal Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking time: 55 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 large potatoes (1 1/2 lbs or 675 g) 2 handfuls green beans, washed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds zest from 1 lemon (1 1/2 teaspoons) 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped 2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste generous handful fresh parsley, finely chopped juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 2 teaspoons chaat masala Instructions: Begin by roasting the potatoes and sweet potatoes in a 400°F oven. Bake until fork tender — about 45 minutes depending on the size of your vegetables. Let cool. Once the cooked potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into roughly 1-inch quarter round pieces, leaving the skin on. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, lemon zest, mint and chilies, and stir for a minute or so. Now stir in the ground coriander and turmeric and continue to stir for another 30 seconds. Now add the potatoes, green beans and salt to the pan. Cook, gently flipping the vegetables often, until the potatoes are golden — about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice and most of the chaat masala. Cook for another few minutes to let the parsley wilt a little. Remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with the remaining chaat masala. Makes 3 to 4 servings

More spicy potato dishes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Bengali-Style Crunchy Potatoes
Indian-Style Potato and Pea Salad with Tamarind and Chat Masala
Samosa-Style Stuffed Baked Potatoes