Pakistani Fruit Chaat With Essential Tips

What is Fruit Chaat?

Fruit Chaat is a sweet, spicy, tangy salad of various fruits tossed with chaat masala. It’s usually served as a snack or appetizer with chai. During the Month of Ramadan, people typically eat it for Iftar. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week!

Fruit Chaat for Iftar

Growing up, I don’t remember breaking a fast during Ramadan without Fruit Chaat. To this day, it’s the one thing I most frequently have at the table for Iftar. (A recent Instagram poll showed that Fruit Chaat is, indeed, the most popular Iftar recipe.) Not only is Fruit Chaat the perfect way to get a variety of fruits in your limited sundown time, but it also helps balance out all the savory and heavy foods that are oft consumed for Iftar. More Iftar Recipes: Chicken Puff Pastry, Aloo Tikki, Easy Chicken Meatballs (Kofta), Keema Naan

The Secret to Great Chaat

Like most Pakistanis, I’ve tasted countless Fruit Chaats. While a good Chaat Masala is vital, I’ve found the best fruit chaats have one thing in common, the secret sauce if you will – and that is orange juice, or any other fruity juice really. It’s the juice pooled at the bottom of the bowl that makes an irresistable fruit chaat! Use whatever you have on hand: freshly squeezed OJ, mango juice, a combination juice like pineapple orange mango, I’ve even used Tang!

What Fruit to Use

There are no rules when it comes fruit chaat, and the best fruit is the fruit you have on hand. That said, the most commonly used fruits are:

bananas apples pears oranges/mandarins berries grapes mangoes guavas pomegranate pineapple

Other great fruits to use: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwi, and peaches. I wouldn’t say any fruit is off limits, but some fruits such as figs or avocados aren’t traditionally used. I also tend to avoid fruit with high water content such as watermelon, papaya, or cantaloupe. Chickpeas, though optional, balance the sweet and savory notes while adding a bit of protein.

How to make Chaat Masala for Fruit Chaat

Chaat Masala has a very distinct taste that’s hard to replicate. In fact, I almost gave up after I tried many different versions without success.

roasted cumin seeds dry mango powder (amchur) black salt (kala namak) pomegranate seed powder (anardana) red chili

Chaat Masala isn’t just used for fruit chaat, but all kinds of street food or anytime where you’d like a bit of sour, tangy, kick. For example, I often use it when I’m making Chana Masala. But then, once I followed my instincts and let go of what ‘should’ be the right quantities, I came up with this simple Chaat Masala recipe that rivals store-bought chaat masala. If you don’t want to make the full-blown recipe, here’s a small-batch version which preceded my full-batch recipe.

Chaat Masala Brands I’ve used:

I get that not everyone has spices like pomegranate powder and black salt in their pantry, so here are some store-bought spice blends I’ve tried:

Spicewalla Chaat Masala Shan Chaat Masala National Chaat Masala (my husband likes this one)

How to make Fruit Chaat

Here’s the ‘no-recipe’ recipe:

Tips and Variations:

I love to chop the fruit in small pieces, so no fruit is overpowering and each bite is diverse. It’s also easier to eat that way. Add a pinch of salt or kalanamak to enhance savory flavors. My sister-in-law always makes hers with a blend of Chaat Masala and Tajin (Mexican Chile Lime Seasoning) and I can’t get enough of it. If you find the Chaat a bit dry, add more juice. You want the juice to lightly pool at the bottom. Scoop it up along with your fruit.

How to Serve Fruit Chaat

You can prepare Fruit Chaat several hours before serving. I usually make it earlier during the evening and refrigerate, covered, until Iftar time. Make-ahead Tip: If you’re adding bananas or mandarins, add them right before serving to prevent them from getting mushy or soggy.