Corn Mint Chaat

1 cup yogurt

Juice from one lemon

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin

1 teaspoon black salt

3 large ears of corn

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 romaine head or 2 romaine hearts

1 ripe mango, diced into ½-inch

chunks (roughly 2 cups)

½ cup “sev” (crispy chickpea noodles)

1 cup mint leaves

Instructions: Whisk the yogurt with lemon juice, honey and half teaspoon each ground cumin and black salt. Refrigerate the yogurt until ready to use.

Over an open fire or outdoor grill, roast the corn on all sides. Alternatively, use an oven to bake the corn or simply boil it. Remove the kernels and toss with a pinch of black salt and chili powder and chill.

When ready to assemble the salad, slice or tear the romaine into the bottom of a large salad bowl.

Top with alternating layers of seasoned corn kernels, diced mango, sev, mint leaves and yogurt. Top with remaining ground cumin, black salt and chili powder. Enjoy immediately.

NOTES & VARIATIONS

• Black salt is delicious, but it is not essential to the recipe — use table salt instead.

• Sev can be found in most Indian grocery stores, but again, it is not essential to the salad. Substitute with crushed papad (Indian lentil wafers) or potato chips.

• Be sure to buy the freshest mint you can find — biting into a fragrant mint leaf is what makes the salad special.

• Before grinding cumin seeds, toast over a skillet for 2-3 minutes until fragrant or roast in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 generous servings

From chef Anita Jaisinghani