Boiled water caltrops with street market chaat masala (singhara)

Pasos

1. Scrub and rinse the water caltrops thoroughly under cold water to remove any residual mud trapped in the crevices of their shells.
2. Place the cleaned water caltrops in a deep pot, cover them with filtered water, and stir in the coarse sea salt.
3. Bring to a rolling boil at 100 °C over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium for a steady simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes, until the shells darken and a paring knife easily pierces through to the center of the flesh.
4. Drain the water caltrops in a colander and let them cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes until they reach around 40 °C, so they are comfortable to handle without burning your fingers.
5. Trim off the side horns or slit the base of each caltrop with a small paring knife, then pry apart the hard shell halves to release the whole white kernel inside without breaking it.
6. Transfer the warm kernels to a serving bowl, squeeze fresh lime juice over them, sprinkle with chaat masala and ground kala namak, and toss gently to coat.