There are countless ways to eat mango but a mango chaat? Let me explain. I honestly did not plan on putting all these ingredients together but when the mangoes I bought from the grocery store turned out to be tart, I figured why not try making chaat with the rest of the fruit I had on hand. The combination is just perfect in this summer heatwave we have going on here in Houston. Fresh, sweet and spicy, this Mango Chaat totally hit the spot!
Here’s what you will need for mango chaat:
Mango – I used a large Mexican mango but if you are in Pakistan you can use a raw mango or a similar tart variety.
Cucumber – An English or Persian cucumber is perfect for that added crunch and doesn’t become watery like a regular cucumber. This does not mean you can’t use a regular cucumber though, just deseed it fo best results!
Strawberries – This is what lends the sweetness to the chaat. You can use any other berries you want as well, like blueberries or blackberries. Raspberries, however, would become too mushy so I wouldn’t recommend it!
Nectarine – Nectarine mimics the tartiness and flesh of the mango so goes very well in this chaat.
Mint – Mint gives this chaat a refreshing flavor. Cilantro will go really well here too.
Lemon juice – Lemon or lime, both work well.
Seasonings – I used paprika, chaat masala, salt and a tiny but of Tajin (A mild chili blend) but feel free to omit if not available in your area.
Sweetener – Although you can add any sweetener you wish, I chose to add stevia to keep it low carb. Honey or agave would go well too but I wanted to keep the flavors authentic to Pakistan so opted for a neutral sweetener.
You may be asking:
If this is chaat, how come there are no chickpeas/garbanzo beans in this? well, I wanted to keep it Whole30 compliant (omit the stevia when making this) and when I had Ali taste test it, he just didn’t want the addition of chickpeas, so there you have it!
That is not to say you can’t add some. As with all my salad recipes, you can add any fruit or nuts as you please.
Why you should make this chaat today:
Mango chaat is so easy to make and comes together in under 20 minutes. Pretty much as long as it takes you to chop up all the veggies.
Eating seasonal is best for your health and you will often find seasonal fruits to be cheaper as they are readily available in stores.
This chaat is also meal prep friendly. You can make this chaat and it will keep in the fridge for at least 2-3 days. Because there is no onion in this chaat you don’t have to worry about it getting watery. The strawberries do tend to go soft so make sure to consume it within the three days for best texture.
Mango chaat also doubles as a side and can be treated like salsa to be enjoyed with fajitas etc.
More meal prep friendly recipes to try:
Mango Chaat
Ingredients
- 1 large mango
- ½ cucumber, I use English cucumber
- 4 strawberries
- 1 nectarine
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 (0.028 oz.) packet powdered stevia or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/4 teaspoon Tajin (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 5-6 mint leaves, chiffonade
Instructions
- Chop up all the vegetables into small bite sized pieces.
- Sprinkle the seasonings.
- Add stevia or sweetener.
- Add lemon juice.
- Stir to combine and chill before enjoying.
Notes
- Powdered stevia can be tainted so make sure to read labels before buying. The best I have found is Sweet Leaf Stevia.
- If you are following Whole30, omit the stevia.
- Use nectarine that is just ripe. This helps compliment the tartness of the mango.
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