Chaat Masala Kamut & Channa

I have been craving nothing but Indian food since my return from the Land-of-No-Veggies, and also needing lots of veggies and vegetarian protein.  As such, I got stuck into my Indian spices in the kitchen this afternoon: coriander seed, cumin, amchur (dried & powdered mango), and dried chili flakes.

And I wanted to make a puffed kamut & chickpea (Channa) salad with Indian spices (Chaat Masala)– here, the spices seasoned the kamut puffs, and I threw in all the fresh veggies & chickpeas at the end so they wouldn’t go too soggy!  So, a warning: serve this as soon as you make it, it will go soggy (and then your boyfriend won’t finish it, even after his valiant attempt…).  If you’re going to be doing any variations on this, I think you should throw in some lime juice and cilantro leaves — that’s what I’ll do next time around for the extra-fresh-bite.

Chaat Masala Kamut & Channa

Inspired by Churi-Muri at Beyond Curries, and Channa Chaat at A2Z Vegetarian, Serves 4

Chaat Masala Spice Mix:

• 1 tsp. amchur (dried mango powder)
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds (ground or whole are both fine here)
• 1-2 tsp. dried red chili flakes
• 1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 generous pinch salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Salad:

• all of the Chaat Masala Spice Mix, above
• 2 tsp. coconut oil
• 3 c. puffed kamut
• 1 big handful cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 carrot, peeled and then “shaved” by running the vegetable peeler over the carrot to get thin strips
• 1/4 red onion, minced finely
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1″ nub of ginger, grated or microplaed

In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine the Chaat Masala Spice Mix and the coconut oil.  Bring up to temperature, and let the spices toast.  You will start to smell the gorgeous spice aromas after a couple of minutes.  At this point, remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the puffed kamut.  Stir well to cover the kamut with the spice mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine the wetter salad ingredients: tomatoes, carrot, red onion, chickpeas, and ginger.

Just when you are ready to serve, mix the spiced kamut and the veggie/chickpea mixture together.

Eat immediately, and enjoy!

You may also want to try:

• Swiss Chard & Roasted Chickpeas
• Red Kidney Bean Curry (Rajma)
• Kale & Lentil Dal
• And a dessert to do with your leftover puffed kamut: Crispy Kamut & Chocolate Squares