If you have ever visited the Indian subcontinent, you have likely encountered chaat. Chaat is an a la carte snack, typically found at roadside stalls. Not only is chaat food, but it is an experience, the embodiment of Indian street food. Standing on the side of the road, watching the chaat wala put together your bowl, and then savoring it standing right there, is the chaat experience. Unfortunately, I have never actually had chaat from a roadside food cart in India. Instead, I enjoy it homemade, or at Indian restaurants. There are several variants of chaat, including papdi chaat, samosa chaat, dahi vada chaat, and even fruit chaat! The common ingredients of chaat are a base (in this case my base was aloo tikki), sauce (I had dahi and mint chutney), vegetables (I used onions and tomatoes), and chaat masala (duh).
ALOO TIKKI RECIPE 1. First, boil potatoes and steam green peas.
2. Mash peas and potatoes together in a large bowl. Add cumin powder, red chili powder (or cayenne pepper), and black salt (or regular salt) based on liking.
3. Add breadcrumbs to the mixture and mix well.
4. Shape the potato mixture into small balls and gently flatten them.
5. Heat oil of your choice (I used olive oil) in a small frying pan. Once it's hot, place the tikkis in the pan to fry them.
6. Fry until both sides are crispy (golden is ideal!).
7. Serve and enjoy!
MINT CHUTNEY RECIPE 1. Blend water, lime juice, mint leaves, and 2 green chiles.
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