Chef Nishant Choubey creates light, tangy protein-rich fusion recipe of American pecan chaat with edamame

On a humid monsoon afternoon in Bokaro, Jharkhand, I was craving for something tangy, light, and rich in protein. I spotted some leftover edamame (Japanese matar) from a salad prep and a jar of American pecans from a pastry prep. Instead of deep frying, I chose to toast the pecans to retain their buttery crunch.

Inspired by Indian street-style chaat, I tossed them with onions, cherry tomatoes, and a burst of chaat masala. The sharpness of onions and citrus punch from the lemon met the creamy edamame and nutty pecan in perfect balance. Guests enjoying my monsoon brunch couldn’t stop raving about it. The dish quickly became a staple on my monsoon ‘clean-eating’ menu.

It gave me a sense of fusion without force — Indian soul with international flair. This chaat represents the kind of food that respects body and season. To this day, I call it ‘Monsoon Power Bowl’— a crunch, a zest, and a downpour memory in every bite.

American pecan chaat with edamame

Ingredients

Boiled edamame (Japanese peas) (shelled)                       1 cup

American pecan nuts (lightly toasted or caramelised)    1/2 cup

Cherry tomatoes (halved)                                                      6

Red onion (finely chopped)                                                   2 tbsp

Fresh coriander (chopped)                                                     A handful

Green chillies (optional), finely chopped                          1

Chaat masala                                                                           1/2 tsp

Lemon juice                                                                             1 tbsp

Black salt                                                                                  To taste

Olive oil (optional, cold-pressed)                                        1 tsp

Method

In a mixing bowl, combine boiled edamame, toasted pecans, tomatoes, onion, coriander, and chillies. Sprinkle chaat masala and black salt. Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently and serve chilled or at room temperature.

— Author of ‘Stay with Indus’, Chef Nishant Choubey is Consulting Chef for Michelin-Plated Indus (Bangkok) and Corporate Chef of Seinan Group (Tokyo). He also won Independent Chef of the Year Award for 2024