We are all missing chaat and our chaat wale bhaiya so much during the lockdown, we could burst out crying. No kidding! Instagram and Facebook are full of homemade chaat pictures and we cannot deny that they just make us feel sad and hungry (Eyeing the watery moong dal made at home). We have already told you how about how to make a few popular street foods at home using maida (refined flour), here is a list of chaat you can make at home using some pantry staples.
Table of Contents
1) Bhalle / Paapdi Chaat
Bhalle are soft, fluffy, melt in your mouth clouds made with urad dal. Making them at home is not as daunting as it may seem and can be done with just a handful of ingredients. You will need lots of yogurts and for that make sure you sieve the curd before adding anything else as you want the dahi to be lump-free. Add pudina or coriander chutney, meethi saunth, bhuna jeera, chaat masala, and paapdis. If you do not have access to store-bought paapdis, they can also be made at home with maida and salt. Garnish with pomegranate pearls.
Image Credit – www.pikturenama.com
2) Pao Bhaji
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You might think that the key ingredient to making pao bhaji is potatoes and other vegetables. Well, you are wrong! It’s butter. Pao bhaji without butter is as useless as Jai without Veeru and Basanti without Dhanno! So people on a diet, look away, you might faint on the copious amounts of butter that seeps into each and every inch of this dish. Tried and tested tip – Pao bhaji can be frozen for up to 7 days and it tastes great. So you can make a huge batch once and use it twice.
3) Aloo Chaat
The banging of the karchi with the tawa at your chaat stall is a sound we all are longing to hear. Crisp deep-fried potatoes tossed in a spicy masala and loads of chutneys. You can make this chaat with shakarkandi (sweet potatoes) and kachalu (Taro) too. Add peanuts and finely chopped onions if you want to increase the crunch. Nothing beats a ‘patta‘ of aloo chaat to satisfy your evening snack cravings.
4) Matra Ki Chaat
Matra or white peas (safed matra) is a complete meal in itself. Matra is very easy to make at home – soak matras overnight or for 4-5 hours. Cook for 2-4 whistles in a pressure cooker. Season with salt, chaat masala, red chilies and bhuna jeera. Top with chopped onions, green chilies, tomatoes, juliennes of ginger, coriander leaves, and a generous squeeze of lemon. Serve it as it is, with kulchas for a filling meal, add as a filler in paani puri or put it on top of aloo tikkis.
5) Aloo Tikki
The sound of aloo tikki sizzling on the tawa is music to our ears. Aloo tikki can be eaten with chutneys or with whipped curd. You can add matra on top of it for that U.P style flavor. Aloo tikkis can be stuffed with a moong dal mixture, a dry fruit mixture, or even paneer. But, everything pales in comparison to that unadulterated crispy aloo yumminess.
Which chaat do you miss the most? Is it aloo chaat or golgappas?
About The Author
Nishtha Asrani Sethi, born and brought up in Delhi, is a content writer who has previously worked with NDTV and Resolver. Her roots are deep within the food industry, thanks to her family business and a keen interest in contemporary food products. Nishtha loves to serve her articles with a side of humor. Her Bachelor’s degree in Home Science comes in handy while researching the science behind the food. When she is not trying to win a battle of fries vs fruit with her daughter, she is busy experimenting with her huge joint family with crazy recipes.