Chaat..........

M

great..

My friend Harshi invited me and a few friends for a sumptuous chaat feast.

It was a delicious evening!!! Am really lucky to have friends who make such good food!!...

Harshi was telling me that there is an order with which you eat chaat in Bombay, that is

you start eating by Bhel Puri, then Pani Puri, Papdi Chaat, Dahi Puri, and then end it with Ragda Patties. I am not sure about this order but you got to eat all of them.....

Bhel Puri

The tradional Bhel has these ingredients...

Murmura (called Arisi Pori in Tamil ) (sauteed till it is crisp with a little oil, turmeric powder)

Potatoes (Boiled and peeled)cut in to very small cubes

Onions (finely chopped)

Coriander (Fineky Chopped)

Mango (peeled and grated)

Papdi (you get in most indian stores, this is optional)

Fine Sev (you get this also in Indian Stores)

Green Chutney

Sweet Chutney

Spicy Garlic Chutney

I havent given any measurements for any of these because it really depends on how much u

like potatoes, onions, and how spicy u want it to be.

Method:

---> Start with a big basin and your clean hand, add the roasted murmura first,

--->Add the potatoes, mango and onions to it and mix well

--->Next hand crush the papdi and add to this

---> Add the chutneys one by one and keep mixing it with your hand as when u add the chutneys

one by one

--->Scoop some out in a bowl and garnish with sev and coriander....

Pani Puri

Pani Puri

Puri - you get these in the indian stores

pani puri water -

Potatoes (Boiled and peeled)cut in to very small cubes

Moong dal Soaked overnight, drained and pressure cooked

Sweet Chutney

Method

--->Break the puri's softer side with your thumb

--->Add very little of potato and moong dal

--->Add some sweet chutney

--->Fill up the puri with the panipuri water

--->Eat the whole puri (without getting choked :) ) this takes practice.....

Papdi Chaat

Papdi Chaat

Have to credit Veena in making this so beautifully in Harshi's House!! :)

Papdi - you get these in the indian stores

Potatoes (Boiled and peeled)cut in to very small cubes

Onions (finely chopped)

Coriander (Fineky Chopped)

Fine Sev (you get this also in Indian Stores)

Green Chutney

Sweet Chutney

Spicy Garlic Chutney

Method

--->Arrange the papdis in a nice circle

--->Add very little of potato on them

--->Add very little of onions on them

--->Add very little of Green Chutney on them

--->Add some sweet chutney, Garlic Chutney

--->Garnish beautifully with Fine sev and Coriander

--->Scoop some carefully in to your mouth (this also takes practice..... )

Dahi Puri

Dahi Puri

Have to credit Veena again, in making this so beautifully in Harshi's House!! :)

Pani Puri - you get these in the indian stores

Potatoes (Boiled and peeled)cut in to very small cubes

Onions (finely chopped)

Moong dal Soaked overnight, drained and pressure cooked

Coriander (Finely Chopped)

Thick Yogurt -- Blended well

Fine Sev (you get this also in Indian Stores)

Green Chutney

Sweet Chutney

Spicy Garlic Chutney

Method

--->Arrange the puriss in a nice circle

--->Add very little of potato and moong dal in them

--->Add very little of Green Chutney on them

--->Add some sweet chutney, Garlic Chutney

--->Pour some yogurt on them

--->Garnish beautifully with Fine sev and Coriander

--->Scoop one (at a time) carefully in to your mouth

Ragda Patties

Ragda Patties (For 2)

Ragda is usually made with White Vatana (Yellow whole peas)

Ingredients

Yellow Whole Peas - 1 Cup

Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - as needed

Method

---> Soak the Peas overnight

--->Drain them and add fresh water that it covers the peas fully

--->Pressure cook it with Turmeric powder and salt

When cooked, it should easily mash with your finger (with no effort)

Patties (for 2)

Ingredients

Potatoes (medium sized 3 or 4) -Boiled and mashed

Bread slices - 2

Chili Powder - 1 Tsp (optional)

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt

Method

--->Boil, peel, and mash the potatoes

--->Soak the Bread in water for about 10 seconds and drain and remove all water and mash and miz it with the potatoes.

--->Add some salt, chili powder and turmeric powder to this

--->(You could add some chopped coriander or mint leaves to this for a different taste)

--->Make small burger shapes and roast on a flat nonstick pan with little oil

The assembly

--->Take two patties

--->Pour some hot Ragda on it to cover the patties

--->Add bit of chopped onions, chopped Green chillies, Sev and coriander and eat!!!

Kulfi

And Harshi ended the meal with serving us Kulfi.

She made the Kulfi with a store bought (indian store) Kulfi Mix, but she had added some bread (soaked and mashed) to the kulfi mix, so it was very creamy and tasted sooooooo good...

Thanks a lot Harshi for a wonderful evening, I am posting this 3 months after....

I will post the recipes of the chutneys soon...

My Memories of Chaat in Chennai (Late 80's)

My earliest memory of Chaat is in Annagar near blue star bus stop, a place called Chaat Bhandar, it was really bad cos i Hated it...

and then I went on a two month trip to Bombay to visit my cousins, and they took me to Juhu, where it was great....

and then back in Chennai, There was a shop called Vitan, there used to be this small chaat shop right outside, and one of the best Bread Channa I had was there...

and then of course how can I forget the Bombay Sandwich guy, who used to sell out of his cart outside Prince Plaza.. There was one shop in Paris Corner also,

Let me know if anyone has eaten in all these places.......