Guava Chaat

firm, crisp guava sliced and tossed with salt, black pepper, roasted cumin, chilli, and tangy chaat masala, the savoury-sour street snack that is the everyday way India eats its amrud

Origin: India

From the journey of Guava.

India grows more guava than any country on earth, and the everyday way Indians eat the amrud is the simplest and most addictive: firm, crisp, slightly under-ripe guava, sliced or cubed and dusted with a savoury, sour, gently fiery seasoning. The fruit-seller at the roadside cart will slice a guava to order, then sprinkle it from his little pots with salt, black pepper, roasted ground cumin, red chilli powder, and, above all, chaat masala, the tangy, faintly sulphurous spice blend (its sourness from dried mango powder, amchur, and its savour from black salt, kala namak) that defines the whole family of Indian chaat snacks. The seasoning transforms the guava: the salt and spice draw out its juice and set off its musky sweetness with a sharp, mouth-watering tang, turning a plain fruit into something craved. Eaten on the move, sold outside schools and stations, and made in seconds at home, guava chaat is the taste of the Indian guava season, the New World fruit seasoned in the most thoroughly Indian way. A squeeze of lime and a few fresh coriander leaves complete it.

Ingredients

The Chaat

  • 4 firm, slightly under-ripe guavas

The Seasoning

  • 1 tsp chaat masala
  • 0.5 tsp roasted ground cumin
  • 0.5 tsp red chilli powder, to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black salt (kala namak), or to taste
  • 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To Finish

  • 1 lime, juice of
  • a few coriander leaves, chopped (optional)

Method

  1. Wash the guavas and cut them into bite-sized slices or cubes, skin on, discarding the very hard central seeds if they are tough.
  2. Mix the chaat masala, cumin, chilli powder, black salt, and black pepper together.
  3. Put the guava in a bowl, squeeze over the lime juice, and sprinkle on the spice mix.
  4. Toss well so every piece is coated, scatter with coriander if using, and serve at once.

Notes

The seasoning is to taste and varies from cart to cart; some add a pinch of sugar, some a dash of pink salt only, some a smear of green chilli. The same treatment suits other firm fruits (raw mango, starfruit, apple). Slightly under-ripe guava is best for its crunch and tartness. Pink or white guavas both work.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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