option: regional variants include tamarind chutney – sour and spicy; red garlic chutney – a piquant and fiery mix of Kashmiri chilies and garlic; green chutney – a symphony of cilantro, mint, garlic, ginger, cumin and chilies. Your mouth may be watering, but chaat would not be complete without two more delectable ingredients. As the chef brings this dish to completion, we need a generous dusting of chaat masala. This Indian street food spice is a complex blend of mango and tamarind powders, coriander and fennel seeds, mint and cumin.
Chaat – The Must Have It Indian Street Food
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ou’ve heard of butter chicken and saag paneer, but what on earth is Chaat? It’s the not-so-secret street food from India that you’ve been missing out on. While the ingredients vary, this appetizer or hors d’oeuvres is a combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, spicy and savory ingredients. The heart of chaat is a starch, like samosas, pakoras, or onion bhajis. Atop these chopped delights a chef will add chana masala – a spicy chickpea and potato curry. Then vegetables bring texture and crunch to the dish: commonly kachumber - a chopped salad of cucumber, tomatoes, and onion adorned with lemon juice, chiles, and cumin. Now make way for the sweet and savory chutney! Decorating our already savory base of samosas and vegetables comes a generous helping of sweet, spicy, and tangy chutneys. It is a veritable cornucopia of chutney goodness. Mango chutney is not the only
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Finally comes the crispy topping. Chefs choose from a range of fried potato, crispy chickpea noodles, fried chickpeas, bhelpuri, or even chana masala. But what chaat should I try? Aloo Tiki chaat uses India’s aloo tiki as its base, that is potato patty stuffed with spicy paneer. Samosa chaat, topped with yoghurt, assorted chutneys is always a go to. Onion Bhaji chaat-the no-need-to-be-humble shredded onion fritter chaat is a veritable delicacy. But where to find it? Where can you get this savory sensation? Holy Cow Indian Eats is serving a variety of chaat from the kitchen at Small Block Brewery 203-5301 Chaster Rd in Duncan. Get some during taproom hours. Submitted by Pam Stiles – Holy Cow Indian Eats
