Chaat -Indian Fast Food

When we started this blog, Em did not want too many Indian recipes for herself - her family is not big fans of 'ethnic' foods. But, recently, she asked for Indian recipes because her daughter liked samosas. I love them too, but have no interest in frying anything for any length of time.

We went for a BBQ this past weekend. Our host suggested a 'Spicy Indian Dish' for me to bring. I made this up with the help of some pre-packaged spices. These are available at most Indian stores.
Here is a wikipedia entry about 'Chaat'. To me, they are the best Indian fast food one can eat. Often, not very healthy - has some fried components to it. And there is a wide variety and range of flavors. I created mine as I went along.





Chick Pea Chaat

Ingredients

Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans) - 2 cans
Potatoes - 2 steamed and mashed
Onion - 1 chopped
Tomato - 1 or 2 chopped
Cilantro - 4 T chopped
Lemon Juice - 1 T
Chaat Masala - 2-3 T (or per your taste) - locally available at Food Mart
Date -Tamarind Chutney or Bhel Puri Chutney - 4-5 T (lots of recipes if you google it; or available at local Indian store - Food Mart)
Sev - 1/2 cup (or as much crunch as you would like; as above - available in Indian stores)
Salt, Chilli powder - to taste

Mash potatoes well, after steaming. Mix together all ingredients, leaving the Sev till the end. Because it is crunchy, adding it to the rest of the mixture can cause it to get soggy. Add it at the end - just before serving.

Add salt, chilli powder (or sugar) at the end - based on your taste and the spiciness of the masala and chutneys.

For variation, can add dry-roasted peanuts or cashews too. If it is too spicy, you can add yogurt too - a common addition to chaat. Also, here is a link to 'papri' or spicy wafers that you can add to the mix for more of a crunchy flavor.

Enjoy!!