This is your ultimate guide to all things Indian Chaat! We will go over what Chaat really is, a foolproof formula to making chaat with just about anything, and recipes to try.
While you may have tried popular North Indian dishes like Saag Paneer and Butter Chicken, you've never tried anything like Indian Chaat. Served street-side in India, these snacks are quickly doled out for just a few rupees to enjoy.
I'm dreaming of gol gappa where the street vendor plops one in the classic disposable palm leaf bowls that you have to scarf down before the puri breaks. Or freshly fried pakora topped with cilantro-mint chutney as you shop around the market.
Chaat can be sweet, spicy, and tangy and just absolutely mouthwatering. It can be enjoyed at restaurants, an early evening snack to share with friends and family, as an appetizer at a party, or a quick and cheap bite at a street vendor.
What is Chaat?
Chaat translates to the verb "to lick" in Hindi. It also happens to describe an entire category of finger-lickin' good Indian savory snacks bursting with flavor. They are also a popular street food across South Asia in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
Chaat is essentially a quick Indian snack that you can make at any time with things that are already in your pantry and refrigerator. It starts with something crunchy that's then layered with chutneys, spices like chaat masala, and toppings like fresh pomegranates and red onions.
Chaat dishes are the preferred vegetarian starter at any desi restaurant. It hits every flavor profile and texture that makes it craveable - sweet, spicy, tangy, salty, crunchy. Usually, family and friends sit over a tablescape of different chaats with a cup of freshly brewed chai to gossip. A popular pun is, "let's chat over chaat."
A Formula to all Chaats
There is a basic formula to all chaat, consisting of five layers to make any type of snack. There are so many regional variations in India with different names, but most combinations stay more or less the same.
- THE BASE - Usually the base of chaat is something crispy or crunchy, or focuses on one ingredient like peanuts, fruits, a vegetable, or fried potatoes. Anything like samosa, gol gappa, matri, crispy rice puffs, thicker sevs, papdi, etc works as a carb-heavy base.
- THE SAUCES - The best part of chaat is when all the sweet, spicy, and tangy chutneys and sauces blend together at the bottom! Common sauces are tangy imli (tamarind) chutney, cilantro-mint chutney, a dollop of cooling and creamy dahi, and lemon juice.
- THE SPICES - A few aromatic masalas are always added to chaat to accentuate the flavors. Chaat masala is without a doubt the most important blend of masalas for every chaat dish and gives a healthy douse of umami. Other notables are roasted cumin, kala namak, and Kashmiri chili powder.
- THE CRUNCHY - To offset the sauces, a crunch is absolute necessary. Some common crunchies are sev (deep-fried noodles made of chickpea flour), potato chips, peanuts, roasted chana (chickpeas), and namkeens (savory snacks).
- THE TOPPINGS - The toppings are usually a mix of raw fruits and vegetables that can be mixed and matched based off of what you have available. Common toppings are red onions, tomatoes, chilis, cilantro, mint, pomegranates, roasted potatoes, chickpeas, and avocado. Fruits like watermelon or apples don't make the cut here, unless specifically making fruit chaat.
This formula works for any chaat! Start off by trying classic dishes at restaurants and then get into exploring the above formula at home. The more you try, the easier it'll be to know which ones mix and match super well.
Chaat Recipes to try
Has this got you craving Indian street food? With so many combinations and possibilities, this world of chaat can be confusing or intimidating to indulge in.
Here are recipes to try, ranking from the easiest dishes to dip your toes in all the way to expert-level dishes.
Peanut Chaat
Fruit Chaat
Street-Style Sweet Potato Chaat
Indian Cheesy Nachos Chaat
Dahi Vada
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