Chaat
Encyclopedia
Chaat is a term describing savoury snacks, typically served at road-side tracks from stalls or carts in India
. With its origins in east India, chaat has become immensely popular in the rest of India and the rest of South Asia
. The word derives from Hindi cāṭ चाट (tasting, a delicacy), from cāṭnā चाटना (to lick), from Prakrit
caṭṭei चट्टेइ (to devour with relish, eat noisily).
The chaat variants are all based on fried dough, with various other ingredients. The original chaat is a mixture of potato pieces, crispy fried bread Dahi vada
or Dahi Bhalla ("Bhalla" in Hindi), gram or chickpeas and tangy-salty spices, with sour home-made Indian chilli and Saunth
(dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh green coriander leaves and yogurt for garnish, but other popular variants included Aloo tikki
s (garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices and a dash of curd), bhel puri, dahi puri
, panipuri
, dahi vada
, papri chaat
, and sev puri.
There are common elements among these variants including dahi, or yogurt; chopped onion
s and coriander
; sev (small dried yellow salty noodles); and chaat masala
. This is a masala
, or spice
mix, typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango
powder), cumin
, Kala Namak (rock salt), coriander
, dried ginger
, salt
, black pepper
, and red pepper
. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate or a banana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl.
, but they are now eaten across South Asia. Some are results of cultural syncretism
- for instance, pav bhaji
(Bread/bun with cooked and mashed vegetables) reflects a Portuguese
influence, in the form of a bun
, and bhel puri
(Sev puri), was created by a Gujarati migrant to Mumbai.
and Mathura are famous throughout India. In Hyderabad, chaat is mostly prepared by vendors hailing from Bihar
, and is different in taste.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. With its origins in east India, chaat has become immensely popular in the rest of India and the rest of South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. The word derives from Hindi cāṭ चाट (tasting, a delicacy), from cāṭnā चाटना (to lick), from Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
caṭṭei चट्टेइ (to devour with relish, eat noisily).
Overview
Dahi vada
Dahi vada is an Indian chaat, prepared by soaking vadas in thick yogurt ....
or Dahi Bhalla ("Bhalla" in Hindi), gram or chickpeas and tangy-salty spices, with sour home-made Indian chilli and Saunth
Sooth (chutney)
Saunth or Sooth is a sweet chutney used in Indian chaats. It is made from dried ginger, or Sooth and Imli paste, hence the name. Chutney is brownish red in colour....
(dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh green coriander leaves and yogurt for garnish, but other popular variants included Aloo tikki
Aloo Tikki
Aloo tikki is a North Indian snack made of boiled potatoes and various spices. "Aloo" means potato, and the word "tikki" means a small cutlet or croquette. It is found in almost every chaat shop or stall all over Delhi majorly and even other parts of India...
s (garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices and a dash of curd), bhel puri, dahi puri
Dahi puri
Dahipuri, or Dahi puri , is an Indian snack which is especially popular in the state of Maharashtra. The dish is a form of chaat and originates from the city of Mumbai. It is served with mini-puri shells , which are more popularly recognized from the dish pani puri...
, panipuri
Panipuri
The golgappa also known as panipuri पानीपूरी, , pani ke pataashe, pāṇīpurī, pāṇī purī, term used in Western India, phuchka , or gup chup is a popular street snack in India. It is a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of water, tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion...
, dahi vada
Dahi vada
Dahi vada is an Indian chaat, prepared by soaking vadas in thick yogurt ....
, papri chaat
Papri Chaat
Papri Chaat, Paapri Chaat or Papdi Chaat is a north Indian fast food. Chaat, an Indic word which literally means lick, is used to describe a range of snacks and fast food dishes; papri refers to crisp fried dough wafers made from refined white flour and oil...
, and sev puri.
There are common elements among these variants including dahi, or yogurt; chopped onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s and coriander
Coriander
Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the...
; sev (small dried yellow salty noodles); and chaat masala
Chaat masala
Chaat masala is a masala, or spice mix, used in Indian and Pakistani Cuisine. It typically consists of amchoor , cumin, Kala Namak, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, asafoetida and chili powder...
. This is a masala
Masala
Masala or massala is a term used in South Asian cuisines to mostly describe a mixture of spices. A masala can either be a combination of dried spices, or a paste made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients—often garlic, ginger, onions and chilli paste...
, or spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
mix, typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
powder), cumin
Cumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
, Kala Namak (rock salt), coriander
Coriander
Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the...
, dried ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, and red pepper
Capsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate or a banana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl.
History
Most chaats originated in Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, but they are now eaten across South Asia. Some are results of cultural syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
- for instance, pav bhaji
Pav bhaji
Pav Bhaji is a fast food dish that originated in Marathi cuisine, and is native to Maharashtra and is popular in most metropolitan areas in India, particularly in Pune. Pav in Marathi means a small loaf of bread. The word has been derived from Portuguese pão . Bhaji in Marathi means vegetable dish...
(Bread/bun with cooked and mashed vegetables) reflects a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
influence, in the form of a bun
Bun
A bun is a small, usually sweet, bread. Commonly they are hand-sized or smaller, domed in shape, with a flat bottom. A bun can also be a savory bread roll similar to a bap or barmcake....
, and bhel puri
Bhelpuri
Bhelpuri is a puffed rice dish with various vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce. It is a type of chaat, or small plates of savoury snacks, particularly identified with the beaches of Mumbai , such as Chowpatty. Bhelpuri is called Jhaal Muri in Kolkata...
(Sev puri), was created by a Gujarati migrant to Mumbai.
Regions
In cities where chaat is popular, there are popular chaathouses or dhabas, such as Mumbai's Chowpatty Beach. The chaat specialities vary from city to city. Chaat from AgraAgra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
and Mathura are famous throughout India. In Hyderabad, chaat is mostly prepared by vendors hailing from Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, and is different in taste.
Specialities
- PanipuriPanipuriThe golgappa also known as panipuri पानीपूरी, , pani ke pataashe, pāṇīpurī, pāṇī purī, term used in Western India, phuchka , or gup chup is a popular street snack in India. It is a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of water, tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion...
/Gol gappa - Papri chaatPapri ChaatPapri Chaat, Paapri Chaat or Papdi Chaat is a north Indian fast food. Chaat, an Indic word which literally means lick, is used to describe a range of snacks and fast food dishes; papri refers to crisp fried dough wafers made from refined white flour and oil...
- Aloo Chaat - AlooAlooAloo is an Indian term for potatoes.It can be found in the name of a number of dishes:* Aloo gobi, potatoes and cauliflower* Dum aloo, fried potatoes with gravy* Saag aloo, fried potatoes with spinach curry...
(potatoes) are cut into small pieces and then fried till crisp and served with chutneyChutneyChutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several... - Dahi puriDahi puriDahipuri, or Dahi puri , is an Indian snack which is especially popular in the state of Maharashtra. The dish is a form of chaat and originates from the city of Mumbai. It is served with mini-puri shells , which are more popularly recognized from the dish pani puri...
- Dahi vadaDahi vadaDahi vada is an Indian chaat, prepared by soaking vadas in thick yogurt ....
- Aloo tikkiAloo TikkiAloo tikki is a North Indian snack made of boiled potatoes and various spices. "Aloo" means potato, and the word "tikki" means a small cutlet or croquette. It is found in almost every chaat shop or stall all over Delhi majorly and even other parts of India...
- BhelpuriBhelpuriBhelpuri is a puffed rice dish with various vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce. It is a type of chaat, or small plates of savoury snacks, particularly identified with the beaches of Mumbai , such as Chowpatty. Bhelpuri is called Jhaal Muri in Kolkata...
- Chila - Besan pancakes served with chutney and sooth (sweet chutney)
- BhalaBhalaBhala is a Pakistani and North Indian snack food that is sold in chaat shops and kiosks all around Pakistan and India. Green bean paste is added with spices, which is then deep fried to make croquets. They are then garnished with yogurt, Saunth chutney and spices. Bhala is usually served cold...
/Aloo TikkiAloo TikkiAloo tikki is a North Indian snack made of boiled potatoes and various spices. "Aloo" means potato, and the word "tikki" means a small cutlet or croquette. It is found in almost every chaat shop or stall all over Delhi majorly and even other parts of India... - PakoraPakoraPakora is a fried snack found across South Asia. Pakoras are created by taking one or two ingredients such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, cauliflower, tomato, chilli, or occasionally bread or chicken and dipping them in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them...
- Different things such as paneerPaneerPaneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is of Indian origin. In eastern parts of India, it is generally called Chhena...
, vegetable dipped in besan (Chickpea/gram flour) paste and fried. - Samosa Chaat - SamosaSamosaA samosa is a stuffed, deep fried,snack that is very popular in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, North Africa and South Africa...
is broken into pieces with green and sweet chutney added to it. - Mangode - Similar to pakora, but besan paste is replaced with yellow moong paste.
- Bedai - Puri stuffed with dalDalDal is a preparation of pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these, an important part of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi cuisine...
and fried till crisp. Typically served with aloo sabji and eaten for breakfast.