Challota

Matt and I recently stumbled across a vegetable called Challota at a produce stand.  They are about the size of a large tomato, yellow/green/brown, and quite spiky!  Feeling adventurous, we bought a few and set off to prepare them at home.  The two Chileans we showed the Challota to swear they have never seen it before... maybe it was imported from a nearby country? 

When we bought the Challota, we were told that it's similar in preparation and taste to a potato.  A quick Google search of recipes confirmed this.  Many recipes come up for "Chayote" instead of "Challota", but as far as I can tell they are the same vegetable.  Some websites state the Challota can be sliced thinly and eaten in salads.  We decided against trying it raw.

Instead, we went for the boiling method:

We boiled the Challota for 15-20 minutes with salt, until they were tender.  Then, after cooling, we removed the inner seed and skin.

Challota after boiling.

Edible Challota flesh, cubed.

We both found the plain Challota, well... pretty plain.  It is a bit crunchier than a cooked potato, and reminded us more of an apple's texture with a light citrus flavor.  Many online recipes recommend pureeing it into a soup, which I imagine would be quite tasty.  We sautéed it with ingredients we had on-hand, including olive oil, sliced turkey, garlic, salt, and lemon juice.  Then, we served it atop a fresh salad of avocado and tomato.  The prepared dish was a hit!  I would definitely make it again.