Chaat Recipes,

Moushmikishore : The Hindu : 6 Sep 2013

Recipes for a few easy-to-prepare chaats

It’s tangy, tasty, and masala-laden… small wonder chaat is a popular street food across the country.

A lot of the chaat preparations are said to have originated in Uttar Pradesh.

They also have interesting stories to them — such as the pav bhaji (bread / bun with cooked and mashed vegetables) that is said tohave Portuguese influence and bhel puri and sev puri believed to be created by a Gujarati migrant to Mumbai.

Interestingly, these street foods can be made at home. Here are the recipes of a few easy-to-cook and healthy chaats.

Sweet Corn Chaat

Ingredients

Sweet corn, boiled: 1 cup

Potato boiled, peeled and

chopped: 1

Onion, finely chopped: 1

Tomato, finely chopped: 1

Cucumber, finely

chopped: Half

Green chilli, chopped: 1

Lime juice: 1 tsp

Chaat masala: 1 tsp

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Red chilli powder: Half tsp

Sev: Half cup

Chopped coriander leaves:

1 tbsp

Butter: 1 tbsp

Salt: To taste

Method

Heat butter in a large pan, add sweet corn, potato, onion, and tomato. Mix it well and then add chilli powder, chaat masala, cumin powder, salt, and green chilli. Garnish with cucumber, sev, chopped coriander and lime juice, and serve.

Bread Chaat

Ingredients

Bread: 8 slices

Large potato, boiled and peeled: 1

Onion, finely chopped: 1

Sev: 200 gm

Beaten curd: 1 cup

Boiled chickpeas: Half cup

Tomatoes, finely chopped: 2

Green chillies, chopped: 2

Fresh coriander leaves: A handful

Cumin seed powder: 1 tsp

Chilli powder: Half tsp

Chaat masala: 1 tsp

Green chutney: 1 tbsp

Sweet chutney: 1 tbsp

Salt: To taste

Method

Use two or three days old bread, remove sides and cut into round pieces. Add three teaspoons of beaten curd on all slices and keep aside for 15 to 20 mins. Take a wide serving dish. Place the bread pieces as the first layer. Layer it with crumbled boiled potato. Sprinkle chaat masala, chilli powder, cumin powder and salt. Add warm chickpeas on the bread pieces, followed by green chutney and sweet chutney. Next, add chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, and green chillies. Top it with sev. Serve immediately.

Banana Chaat

Ingredients

Bananas: 6

Cardamom: 1 tsp

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Mango powder: 1 tsp

Pepper: 1 tsp

Lime: 1

Beaten curd with salt and

sugar: Half cup

Tamarind chutney: 1 tbsp

Salt: To taste

Method

Peel and slice bananas. Mix with powdered spice. Moisten it with lime juice. Add salt to taste.

Top it with thick curd and tamarind chutney.

Green Peas and Pakoda Chaat

Ingredients

Onion pakodas: 4

Boiled green peas: Half

cup

Curd beaten with a little

salt and sugar: 1 cup

Tamarind chutney: 1 tbsp

Green chutney: 1 tbsp

Cumin seed powder: Half tsp

Chaat masala: 1 tsp

Red chilli powder: Half tsp

Onion, finely chopped: 1

Tomato, finely chopped: 1

Sev: Half cup

Salt: To taste

Method

The pakodas should be crispy for the chaat to taste good. Arrange pakodas in a serving dish. Smash or slice them. Add some boiled peas along with a little of the water it was boiled in, on the pakodas. Top it with onions, tomatoes, tamarind chutney and green chutney. Pour the beaten curd on top. Sprinkle chilli powder, cumin powder, chaat masala, salt and finally, sev. Serve immediately.

Keywords: chaat recipes