Pasta Salad in Chaat Masala Vinaigrette Recipe

Name: Pasta Salad in Chaat Masala Vinaigrette
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 100 g pasta cooked; 2 slices processed cheese; 1/4 cup mozeralla; 1/4 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 cup milk; 1 beet ( boiled and cubed); 2 onion small ( sliced); 1/2 yellow pepper (cubed); 2 green chillies (chopped); 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1/2 tsp chaat masala; 1 garlic clove (crushed); 1/8 tsp sugar; Salt as per taste

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Easy and healthy Pasta Salad with pantry ingredients is simply delicious.

This salad is tossed with a yummy simple homemade dressing that straddles both the East and West. If you are looking for a side dish, this is it!

A serving of Pasta Salad in Chaat Masala Vinaigrette — Pasta Salad in Chaat Masala Vinaigrette Recipe

Main Difference in my past Pasta Salads and today’s salad.

I have made Pasta salads in the past. A creamy Pasta Salad and Pasta Salad and Stir-fried Mushrooms which is less creamy. I could pick and choose my ingredients.

The challenge currently, is how to make the best pasta salad with limited ingredients and minimum wastage.

Why did I make this Salad?

I am a part of the Shhh Secretly Cooking Group. Themes now are decided by a member chosen alphabetically. We then sign up for the challenge if interested, wait there is a twist each member is then partnered with another. These partners then exchange 2 secret ingredients, you cook according to the theme using these ingredients. Interesting?? Sign up!

So the theme for this month is Salads and has been suggested by Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds. She has some amazing gluten-free, vegan food like her Zero Oil Sweet Potato and Chickpeas recipe.

My partner is Narmadha of Nam’s Corner! Narmadha made this delicious cake and looking at it I wish I could decorate a cake like her. Then I need to try out her Rava Pongal too.

Anyway, Narmadha knows we in Goa had a hard time getting supplies thanks to our state borders being sealed off. She kindly suggested vinegar and chaat masala as my secret ingredients. I was grateful Narmadha thought so carefully before giving me these common ingredients. As for Narmadha, she has to work her magic with oil and mustard.

Also, as a part of Foodie Monday BlogHop, today our host is Narmadha and she wants us to share healthy #253MunchkinMeals. What better than a.salad, colourful meal is what a kid wants. Healthy is what you want. Sneak in veggies, feed them with colour remember we eat with our eyes first.

This salad just happened because I found some cooked pasta in the fridge. It was my girl’s late-night snack. They had used a combination of mozzarella and processed cheese in water (not milk) to make it. Now the girls do not eat so many milk products so naturally, they could not finish it.

The pasta was waiting for the Mad Scientist!

Salads in my place are our go-to food, especially for dinner. A Salad is one thing Apeksha will willingly put together. Our salads have no accompaniments like bread etc!

I made the salad after lunch, generally my time to take pictures and offered it to the girls. Surprisingly they were not interested, so, I left it on the dining table and went for a nap. By the time I came out after about 1 hour, most of the plate was empty. If the salad disappears when everyone is full, it is delicious !!

So are you going to try it out? If you do please do tag me.

What ingredients should I add to pasta salad?

All the difference was because of this delicious mix of garlic, apple cider vinegar, sugar and chaat masala. Chaat masala raised the bar of the dressing, from blah to delicious!

Boiled Pasta: The pasta here is elbow pasta. You can use any small pasta with small nooks and crannies in them.
Cheese: A mixture of processed cheese and mozzarella.
Oregano: To flavour the pasta, adjust as per taste.
Pepper: Black pepper, freshly ground, adjust as per taste.
Beetroot: Boiled, peeled and cubed.
Onions: Sliced thinly I used the smaller onions as they are tastier.
Yellow Peppers: I had half a yellow capsicum to finish. You can use Red and green peppers too.
Green chillies: You can skip adding the chillies or adjust as per taste.
Apple Cider Vinegar: I used apple cider, you can try using balsamic vinegar or even red wine vinegar.
Chaat Masala: I used the store-bought chaat masala.
Other Veggies: Use any vegetable you like/have cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, boiled peas, boiled corn,
Optional Ingredients: Boiled eggs, if you eat meat, go ahead and add boiled chicken, cooked prawns, bacon. Add nuts!
Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic, if you can source fresh green shoots of garlic use that finely chopped.
Salt: Use sparingly, but you will need some.
Sugar: Use a pinch to balance the vinegar.

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How I made my Pasta Salad in Chaat Masala Vinaigrette

To make the pasta: Boil the pasta as per instructions on the package and set aside.
Microwave: Add the processed cheese pieces to a microwave-safe bowl and melt it the girls added water I will prefer milk. When it is a bit soft, add the mozzarella and oregano, salt, pepper and the pasta and mix well. Microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir microwave yet again for 30 seconds or till the cheese bubbles. Set aside to cool.
Make the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl add crushed garlic, chaat masala and mix well. Add sugar and vinegar and mix well. Adjust the salt.
To put the salad together: To the cooled pasta add all the veggies except the beetroot. in my case it was just the yellow pepper, onions mixed well. Add the vinaigrette and stir it. Add the boiled beets, green chillies and mix gently. this will prevent the rest of the pasta picking up the colour of the beets.
Serve immediately.

Recipe Card Pasta Salad in Chaat Masala Vinaigrette