Meet Indian Chaat: The Sweet, Spicy and Tangy Street Food You Should Be Eating
Updated: Feb. 20, 2024
Want to try some new savory snacks? Keep reading to learn about chaat, a tantalizing category of Indian street food.
If you’re looking to get into Indian food, chaat is a great place to start. Rather than being one specific dish, chaat is a family of Indian snacks. It takes elements of classic foods, like samosas and chutney, and gives them new shape.
What is chaat?
With its aromatic spices and tangy sauces, chaat describes an entire category of Indian street foods that offers the palate a symphony of flavors and textures. It’s a group of foods without limits. As it’s considered a snack, it can be eaten at any time of day.
The rich culinary diversity of India has led to the creation of a plethora of chaat dishes inspired by its various regions. While each may look and taste a little different, they all share a common combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, spicy and savory ingredients.
Starches
All great chaat dishes begin with a solid foundation. The exact base ingredient will vary but it is almost always starchy. Popular options in traditional chaat include samosas, crispy puffed rice or fried bread fritters.
Vegetables
Vegetables are the next key ingredient to chaat and are typically boiled or raw. Meant to add texture to the dish, raw onions, tomatoes and boiled potatoes are common additions.
Chutney
Generously spooned over the carb-rich base and vegetables is usually one or a combination of sweet, spicy and tangy chutneys. Chutneys are a staple in Indian cuisine. They’re often served alongside Indian flatbreads like chapati bread or naan for dipping.
While you’re likely to come across a wide variety of regionally-inspired chutneys as you explore the world of chaat, these are the three most common ones you’ll encounter.
- Tamarind Chutney: This classic Indian condiment is sweet, sour and spicy. It’s made from tangy tamarind, spices and a sweetener like sugar, jaggery (palm tree sap) or dates.
- Red Garlic Chutney: If you love garlic and spice, then this chutney is for you. This vibrant, fiery sauce is loaded with garlic and ground Kashmiri chilies.
- Mint Chutney: Also known as pudina dhania, this chutney is made primarily of cilantro, mint, garlic, cumin and chilies. This chutney is both spicy and refreshing.
Chaat Masala
Next comes a healthy dusting of chaat masala. While the realm of chaat may be vast, chaat masala is the common denominator that unites. This essential blend of Indian spices is made primarily of kala namak, also known as Himalayan black salt. The pungent spice adds a strong umami flavor and egg-like aroma to the dish.
Crispy Topping
Finally comes the crunch. No chaat dish is complete without something crispy and fried on top. Popular toppings include fried potato bits, deep-fried noodles made from chickpea flour called sev, or seasoned, fried chickpeas.
While each component of chaat is relatively simple, it’s pure magic when combined. Hitting on every flavor note that makes a food crave-able, chaat is your perfect gateway into the wonderful world of Indian food and flavors.
Different Types of Chaat to Try
For first-timers, choosing which Indian dish you want to order can be a hard decision. There are so many enticing options! While menus will vary from place to place, here are the classic Indian chaat dishes you’ll definitely want to try first.
Aloo Chaat
Popular in northern India, aloo chaat is typically comprised of fried pieces of seasoned, parboiled potatoes topped with raw onion, chutney, lime juice and a generous sprinkling of chaat masala.
Aloo Tikki
This popular snack is India’s version of hash browns or potato pancakes. Aloo tikki is made from mashed, boiled potatoes mixed with peas, onions and spices. The mixture is formed into small patties and then fried. Aloo tikki is commonly served with an assortment of chutneys and yogurts for dipping.
Bhelpuri
This dish is bursting with texture. Starting with a base of puffed rice, called bhel, and crunchy pieces of fried dough strips called puri, this dish is topped with green and tamarind chutneys and often finished with cilantro, lime juice and a generous handful of peanuts and sev.
Dahi Vada
These classic Indian fritters are a street food staple. Dahi vada begins with fried dumplings, known as vadas. Commonly made from legumes such as mung beans, chickpeas or lentils, the legumes are soaked and then ground into a batter that gets mixed with spices and then fried. Once cooked, the vadas are soaked in a heavy yogurt sauce and garnished with chaat masala.
Golgappa or Panipuri
Known as either golgappa or panipuri, this dish is made from unleavened deep-fried bread, called puri. Round and hollow, once fried, the puris are filled with a variety of savory fillings. The filling typically starts with a spoonful of flavored water, called imli pani. Then, a mixture of potatoes, chutneys, onions, chilies and chaat masala follows.
Editor’s Tip: Eat these tasty little balls in one big bite. If you try to take smaller bites, you’ll regret it quickly as the tasty filling spills out.
Papri Chaat
Originating in North India, papri chaat is a dish that has gone through many adaptations as it spread throughout India and around the world. Sticking to the classic recipe, you’ll find a base of crispy fried dough wafers, papri, along with boiled potatoes and chickpeas topped with tamarind chutney, chaat masala and crunchy sev.
Sev Puri
Similar to golgappa and panipuri, sev puri is made using the same deep-fried unleavened bread balls. The difference lies in the filling. Sev puri instead layers potatoes, onions and the three famous chaat chutneys into each hollow puri ball. The puris are then liberally topped with crispy sev and often garnished with fresh mango and chaat masala.
Samosa Chaat
The deep-fried, filled pastries are chopped and then arranged as the base to this classic Indian chaat dish. Topped with yogurt, assorted chutneys and sev, it’s almost impossible to not love this savory chaat.
Up Next: Traditional Indian desserts you need to try.
Originally Published: August 09, 2021
