- Submitted by Dahlia on 30th Jul 2008
(How to make Chaat at home?? Chaat Basics, Chutneys for Chaat)
What are Chaats?
Chaat literally means "to lick" or "to taste" or "to relish". This street-food originated in Gujarat but has now become a favorite all over the country. Our neighboring countries - Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh also enjoy chaat. It used to be sold in road side stalls but these days you can find them even in big restaurants. Nowadays people prefer serving chaats in weddings too. It is an all time favorite among college students. I have pleasant memories enjoying chaat with my best friends.
Chaats are a blend of some common ingredients which are layered in a very rustic way and served. A mouth full of any chaat will give a punch of different flavors that hits your taste buds - sweet, spicy and sourness. It might look like a plate full of junk food but most of the ingredients are actually good for health. If prepared in a hygienic way, chaats can be considered a healthy meal. One thing is for sure, chaats are very addictive. So make it at home and be sure that you are eating healthy.
Ingredients for making Chaat
There are a variety of chaats but the ingredients used are mostly common. You need to have the ingredients chopped up to assemble your chaat easily. The items used to make the chaats are onions, tomatoes, cilantro (coriander leaves), raw mango, thin sev, potato pieces, crispy fried bread, spicy fried gram beans, papdis, spicy fried channa dal, boiled green gram and boiled chick peas. The other ingredients used for the flavor are lemon juice , pomegranate seeds, black salt (kala namak), beaten sweetened yogurt , roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, chaat chutneys (recipe links given below) and chaat masala which is a spice mix, typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt and pepper.
Basic Chaat Chutneys
The chutneys typically used in most of the chaats are the green chutney and the sweet tamarind chutney. For extra spicy lovers, there is also a red chutney. Click on the links below to get the recipes for the chaat chutneys.
- Green Chutney : A spicy green chutney made with coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilies. This adds a spicy touch to the chaats along with a minty flavor.
- Tamarind Chutney : The is a dark blackish colored chutney that has a sweet and sour taste that is imparted by the three ingredients used : tamarind, dates and jaggery (or white sugar).
- Red Chutney: This is an optional chutney to be added if you like an extra spicy chaat. It is made with dried red chilies.
Popular Chaats
Some of the popular chaats are listed below. I have shared the recipes for a few of them for which I have provided the link. The remaining, I will be sharing in the days to come.
More Chaat Recipes