JOIN USIt won’t be wrong to say that Indian palate is incomplete without chaat. We all have our special love for this street food and don’t really need a reason to relish it.
A variety of chaat is available and we can have each one of it at any time of the day. The best part is we can easily make these delicious snacks at our homes too.
Want something really spicy and crunchy to munch, Dahi Papdi chaat is always a good option. Arrange papdis in a plate, add pieces of boiled potatoes and chopped onions and tomatoes. Sprinkle chaat masala, cumin powder and chilli powder. Add red and green chutney on each papdi for that tangy and spicy flavour. Addition of yoghurt will try to minimise that strong flavour and finally sprinkle sev. Similar is Maharashtra’s Sev Batata Puri except you add some spice roasted chana dal. When it comes to chaat, Vada and Bhalla is the most loved. Both are dumplings of white urad dal. Bhalla is soaked in hot water and then squeezed.
To it a good amount of yoghurt is added and then a pinch of chilli powder, black salt and sev is sprinkled over it. Likewise, the traditional Dahi Vada is exactly like bhalla except the dumpling is soaked in yoghurt and sprinkled with roasted cumin powder, chopped onions and green chillies and served with sweet-sour tamarind chutney.Aloo chaat is definitely everyone’s favourite. Undoubtedly, all these chaats are like a mini meal. So, if you are not that health conscious then samosa chaat should be on the ‘must have’ list. Mash the hot samosas, put some boiled peas, top it with chopped onions, tomatoes, chutney and yoghurt. Sprinkle red chilli powder, cumin powder and chaat masala over it and finally add sev or boondi to it.
To maintain the taste of these different varieties of chaat serve it immediately as soggy chaat will fail to satisfy your taste buds’ demand for spicy food.
Priyanka Malhotra, chef, Cafe Turtle says, “Everyone loves this savoury Indian snack – whether eaten on the roadside, in restaurants or at home, they are every Indian’s favourite. The best part about chaat is that the variations are endless – with or without yoghurt, potatoes, puffed rice, chana, sprouts, fruits, even vegetable leaves such as spinach.”
She suggests a healthy option in chaat. “It is easy to make a Chana Salad and Sprout Salad chaat at home - both are healthy and nutritious, and provide plenty of protein, Vitamin C and iron to your diet,” says Priyanka.
“Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook until soft but firm. Drain and keep them aside to cool. In a small bowl, make the dressing mixing olive oil, lemon juice, salt, chaat masala, red chili powder, black pepper and roasted cumin powder. In a salad bowl, add boiled chickpeas, onion, tomato, cucumber, green chilli, coriander leaves, and pomegranate kernels. Add the dressing and adjust to taste. Garnish with chopped coriander,” she says.
So, what are you waiting for!