Chaat

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A young man at his chaat stand in Mussoorie, India. The main text on the front says "bhel puri" and "sev puri" in Hindi. In the plastic bag are puris for panipuri; the yellow substance is sev; the fried crackers are papdi; the white substance is puffed rice; and the other things are chopped onions, limes and tomatoes.

Chaat (Hindi: चाट) is plate of savoury snacks, typically served at road-side tracks from stalls or carts in India, Pakistan and the rest of South Asia. The word derives from Hindi cāṭ चाट (tasting, a delicacy), from cāṭnā चाटना (to taste), from Prakrit caṭṭei चट्टेइ (to devour with relish, eat noisily)^[1].

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, gram bean and spices, but other popular variants included Aloo Tikkis (garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices and a dash of curd), bhel puri, dahi puri, panipuri, dahi vada, papdi chaat, and sev puri. There are common elements among these variants including dahi, or yogurt; chopped onions and coriander; sev (small dried yellow noodles); and chaat masala. This is a masala, or spice mix, typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, black 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.

History

Most chaats originated in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, but they are now eaten across South Asia. Some are results of cultural syncretism - for instance, pav bhaji reflects a Portuguese influence, in the form of a bun, and bhel 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 Agra & Mathura are famous throughout India. In Hyderabad, chaat is mostly prepared by vendors hailing from Bidar, and is different in taste.

Specialities

• Panipuri
• Aloo Chaat - Aloo (potatoes) are cut into small pieces and then fried till crisp and served with chutney
• Chila, Snack - Besan pancakes served with chutney and sooth (sweet chutney)
• Bhala/Aloo Tikki
• Pakora - Different things such as paneer, vegetable dipped in besan paste and fried.
• Mangode - Similar to pakora, but besan paste is replaced with yellow moong paste.
• Bedai - Puri stuffed with dal and fried till crisp. Typically served with aloo sabji and eaten for breakfast.

References

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