Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A Cookbook  by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

I squeeze in clean meals as much as I can, and this satisfying salad packs in mega nutrients and flavor. Chaat is a type of street-style snack food that originated in India and normally has a crispy element paired with sweet and tangy flavors. This dish is so easy to prepare: use up whatever you have on hand in the fridge.

Serves 4–6

[Veg] [GF] [30]

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch broccolini
• 11/2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup honey goat cheese
• 1/4 cup Garlic Confit
• 1/2 cup Citrus Vinaigrette
• 1 cup chevdo (see Note)

METHOD

Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice water. Add broccolini to the pot and cook for a minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl of ice water and gently stir. After 1 minute, remove to a baking sheet lined with a dish towel to drain.

Preheat a grill pan or BBQ to high heat. Remove dish towel from the baking sheet and drizzle broccolini with oil, then add salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Grill broccolini for 3–4 minutes, turning as necessary to produce char marks. Transfer to the baking sheet and toss with citrus vinaigrette.

Transfer the broccolini to a serving plate, add pomegranate seeds, crumbled honey goat cheese and pieces of garlic confit, and sprinkle with chevdo.

Note: Chevdo is an Indian snack mix made up of dried ingredients and spices. It can be found at South Asian markets.

Devan Rajkumar, aka “Chef Dev,” is a classically trained and award-winning chef who has plowed his way through top-tier kitchens, marquee events and much-lauded television programming, pushing boundaries of innovation and creativity at every step of the way. He is the stalwart chef expert on CityLine and a Food Network judge for the critically acclaimed program Fire Masters.

Proudly Guyanese-Canadian with strong East Asian roots, Chef Dev celebrates the food traditions of East and West Indian cuisine and demonstrates how easy it is to make bold, flavorful food with easy-to-find ingredients. Outside the food space, he mentors youth and performs community service. Chef Dev is based in Toronto, Canada.