Trail Chaat
Cold-water Indian salad with hemp hearts and tamarind. Ready to eat in ten minutes.
- calories
- 380
- weight
- 3.8 oz
- cal / oz
- 100
- protein
- 21 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 2 min
- water
- 160 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Lunch
- Snack
- No cook
- Cold soak
- Backpacking
- Day hike
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Hemp seed hearts | 1/3 cup | carries about 21g of protein |
|---|---|---|
| Dried cucumber | 1/4 cup | thinly sliced, rehydrates with a slight chew |
| Dried tomato flakes | 2 tbsp | |
| Dried shallots | 1 tbsp | or use dried onion |
| Tamarind powder | 1 tsp | the main flavor, brings acid and depth |
| Coconut sugar | 1 tbsp | balances the tamarind's sharpness |
| Lime powder | 1/4 tsp | crystallized lime or dried lime zest work |
| Ground cumin | 1/2 tsp | |
| Ground coriander | 1/4 tsp | |
| Ground ginger | 1/4 tsp | |
| Dried cilantro | 1/2 tsp | |
| Sea salt | 1/4 tsp | |
| Black pepper | pinch |
Method
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl or bag.
- Pour in 160 ml of cold water and stir well.
- Let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Stir again and check the texture. Add more water if too dry, or wait a few minutes longer if soupy.
- Eat at room temperature, or add a splash of hot water if you're already cooking something.
Hemp hearts make this salad protein-rich and shelf-stable. Tamarind brings the distinctive flavor—sour, assertive, and weightless—while cumin, coriander, and ginger establish the chaat character. Rehydrate in cold water for ten minutes and you have a textured salad that works as a light lunch or as a side dish at camp.
Tamarind is essential here. It delivers flavor without volume or refrigeration, and cuts through the richness of the hemp hearts. Lime powder adds brightness that cold water alone cannot provide, and coconut sugar softens the sharpness. Everything keeps indefinitely on the shelf, and nothing in this recipe requires heat to taste right.
Packing
Mix all dry ingredients into a single-serving bag at home. At camp, pour into a bowl or eat straight from the bag if you're ultralight.
Variations
- Add crushed almonds or cashews for crunch and calories.
- Mix with cooked rice or quinoa at camp for a more substantial meal.
- Use lemon powder instead of lime for a brighter flavor.
- Add a pinch of cayenne or dried chili for heat.
https://trailcooking.com/2025/08/21/meal-review-good-to-go-cucumber-chaat-salad