The s.o. adapted this from a recipe of Neelam Batra's. It's weird at first blush, but it turns out to be excellent and maybe a little addictive. It also occurs to me that it would be a nice thing to have on hand for vegan friends.

MARINATED NUT SALAD
2 tsp. chaat masala (see below)
1/2 c. orange juice
1 tsp. crushed dried mint leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. unroasted cashews and/or blanched sliced almonds
1 c. tomato, seeded and finely chopped
3 to 4 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, mix the orange juice, chaat masala, mint, salt, and nuts. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight if you have time.
Transfer this mixture into a large nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until most of the liquid evaporates. Let cool completely and transfer to a serving bowl. Mix in the tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, and lemon juice.


CHAAT MASALA
We keep this on hand all the time, since it adds a nice "zing" to food. It's really good on fire-roasted corn on the cob, for example. If this seems like too much trouble, commercial chaat masalas are available (although not where I live!).
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 c. mango powder
3 Tbs. crushed dried mint leaves
2 Tbs. ground ginger
2 Tbs. ground ajwain seeds
2 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. citric acid
2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground asafoetida

Roast all the spices together in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for two minutes. Let cool, then store in an airtight container.