Sunny Baweja
Punjab, India, native Sunny Baweja is a chaat master. The flavorful street food snack is a must at his restaurant, Lehja, which recently reached a 15-year milestone. When Baweja opened the business, he settled on a suburban location — Short Pump Town Center — and leaned into presenting a refined selection of Indian cuisine, inviting customers to have an experiential dinner rather than a takeout meal. “We were not targeting just one region of India,” Baweja says. “That was unusual, and that was risky. But it has paid off.” To commemorate its anniversary, Lehja is introducing new dishes, such as a lamb loin chop with khichdi (a rice and lentil dish) and seasonal okra chaat. Read on for a special recipe featuring Hanover tomatoes.
Fried Green Tomato Chaat
3-4 green Hanover tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (add a squeeze of fresh lime juice)
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup water
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Oil for frying (avocado oil or oil of your choice)
For serving
Plain Greek yogurt (lightly season with honey, chile powder and cumin powder)
Tamarind chutney
Cilantro-mint chutney (recipe below)
Chaat masala seasoning
Kashmiri red chile powder or cayenne pepper
Fresh pomegranate arils
Fresh cilantro
Dice 3-4 slices of tomato for garnish and set aside. Season the remaining slices with salt and pepper to taste. Combine chickpea and rice flours, ginger-garlic paste, and spices (cumin through black pepper) in a shallow bowl. Slowly add up to 1 cup of water and mix to create a thick batter. Dredge tomato slices in the batter, then press both sides into breadcrumbs to coat. Lay battered tomato slices on a baking sheet; set aside for 1 to 2 minutes. Heat oil to 350 degrees in a large saucepan. Gently place tomato slices into the oil and cook until golden brown and floating, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. To serve, top with sweetened yogurt, tamarind chutney and cilantro-mint chutney. Dust with chaat masala and Kashmiri chile powder, then garnish with reserved chopped tomatoes, pomegranate arils and cilantro sprigs. Serves 3-4.
Cilantro-Mint Chutney
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch mint leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 green chile or jalapeno
2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon avocado or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
On Aug. 25, Lehja will host the culminating event for Summer Supper Somm, an annual dinner series showcasing heirloom tomatoes from Hanover’s Village Garden and celebrating Virginia wines. The 2025 series kicked off June 30 with stops at more than 20 restaurants across the commonwealth, plus events in South Carolina and Georgia.
