Potato and Chickpea Salad with Tamarind Dressing

Aloo Chaat, a popular North Indian street food or snack featuring potatoes (aloo), spices, cilantro and hot, sweet and sour chutneys, sometimes served in leaf cups or bowls, is a veritable treat. Here a variation of this favorite is turned into a main dish salad with the addition of quick and easy to make little crisps made with flour tortillas for contrast and texture. I've stuck with a tamarind sauce for the dressing, but any number of other chutney based or even yogurt based sauces would also provide some variations to appeal to a variety of tastes. Plump chickpeas, potatoes and leafy greens combine with sweet, sour, and slightly hot flavours in a salad you will want to revist again and again, especially considering how straightforward and satisfying it is to serve up and enjoy.

Though I highly recommend making the tortilla crisps to go along with the salad, you can also serve with packaged lightly salted or seasoned tortilla chips if so inclined.

Potato and Chickpea Salad with Tamarind Dressing

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Cuisine: Indian
Published on June 8, 2023

Plump chickpeas, potatoes, and peppers and a sweet, sour, and slightly hot tamarind dressing served on fresh leafy greens and crisp baked tortillas for an easy and flavorful summer salad meal

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes + time to cook the potatoes in advance

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Chaat salad:

2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 14 oz can or 2/3 cup dried)
2 lbs (900 g) baked or boiled potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chaat masala, to taste
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
8 cups mixed salad greens
4 10- to 12-inch flour tortillas
olive oil for brushing the tortillas

Dressing:

1/2 cup dates
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 tablespoon tamarind paste or concentrate
1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry roasted
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

To make the dressing, soak the dates in boiling water for at least 1 hour until softened. Drain, pit the dates and chop. Add the dates to a blender along with the hot water, tamarind paste or concentrate, ginger, cumin seeds, cayenne, and salt, and process until smooth. Set aside.
To make the tortilla crisps, preheat an oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a round 2-inch cookie cutter, cut the tortillas into rounds and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with oil and bake for about 4 minutes, turn, and brush with a bit more oil. Bake for another few minutes until slightly puffy, crisp, and golden. Remove and season with a bit of sea salt. Set aside to cool.
To make the salad, toss the chickpeas, potatoes, red pepper, cilantro, ground cumin, lime juice and chaat masala in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
To serve, arrange a few handfuls of mixed greens onto serving plates and spoon the salad mixture overtop. Drizzle with dressing and arrange some of the tortilla crisps along the sides of the plate.

Makes 4 to 6 servings