CHATPATA CHAATS ON A PLATTER

A VERSATILE & YUMMY FARE

Chaat is an umbrella term for a wide range of roadside foods that usually feature some kind of fried dough with various ingredients that typically create a spicy, tangy, or salty flavour, though some chaats are sweet. Chaat is also referred to as a family of savory snacks that originated in India, typically served as hors d’oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across South Asia in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The different kinds of Chaat names from the collection are Aloo and Peas Chaat, Aloo Paneer Chaat, Sprouts Chaat, Raw Mango Chaat, Palak Chaat, Idli Chaat, Boondi Chaat, Cutlet Chaat, Oats Chaat, etc. There are almost more than 500 varieties of Chaat across the country in various states, cities, and smaller places as well. In India, “chaat” is a word that describes more than just a set of snacks: It’s a way of life, and a category of food that hits practically every element that makes something crave-able—sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, and crunchy.

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The original chaat is a mixture of potato pieces, crisp fried bread Dahi vada or Dahi Bhalla, gram or chickpeas, and tangy-salty spices, with sour Indian chili and saunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh green coriander leaves and yogurt for garnish, but other popular variants included Alu tikkis or Samosa. There are those who say the word chaat originated from its literal meaning ‘to lick’. It was so delicious that people licked their fingers and the bowl made of peepal leaves, called donas, in which it is often served. Others think it originated from the term chatpati (tangy). However, no one truly knows the origin.

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Though Chaats are prepared with a mixture of various ingredients yet, they are not so unhealthy to eat. But, there are Chaats like Aloo Tikki chaat and samosa chaat that can be unhealthy, especially for people who are trying to lose weight. In short, Samosa Chaat is made when samosa is broken into bite-sized pieces and served with masala, chutney, and spices. Even though it’s amazing street food, it can also be made at home. It’s the perfect dish to experiment with because there are so many different sauces and spices to try it with.

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Here are a few easy to toss- mix- assemble and relish options for a Sunday evening with Chaats:

Recipe-1] CHATPATA MAKKAI WALA CHAAT

Recipe-2] KALA CHANA FIRANGI CHAAT

Recipe- 3] MAKHANA MASTI CHAAT

Recipe- 4] PAKODE WALI CHAAT

Recipe- 5] PEANUT WALI KHASTA MAZAA CHAAT

Recipe- 6] RAJMA AUR KAIRI WALI CHAAT

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