The Ultimate Street Food - Chaat

The true test of a foodie is when they know where to find the best street food in the city - they must definitely know of a food stall in some god forsaken by-lane where the world of deliciousness just culminates !

I absolutely love, adore and pine over good street food - the whole idea of standing by the busy roads and relishing some of the best foods ever. Also, for me there are some things that are meant to be eaten in tiny stalls by the road - they lose their charm when served in posh restaurants. 

When ever I am in my hometown , I make sure I can push in as many "chaat" outings as I can. I have never tasted chaat better than what I get here in Kanpur (and it's not just me who says so - just in case you thought I was too much in love with everything that reminds me of home)

There are occasions when I decide to get my hands dirty and set myself the challenge of making chaat at home - may be there will be a day when I will find it better than what I ate outside. Has never happened so far - will tell you if I am able to achieve the unattainable ever!

Yesterday was one such day... though I must admit I wanted to go out as usual - but realised it was a little too cold for comfort and decided to stay indoors - I still have the cold :(

In retrospect I feel having chaat to eat was not a good idea when I already have a cold - but that was not a choice I was dealing with. The question was  - at home or outside.

Mom did most of the groundwork - making the potato tikkis and chutneys etc.

My contribution ? Plating up! And also putting together the Papri Chaat !

There is no rocket science going on here - the basic elements are all to easy to make. In fact there are so many recipes all over the internet to make chaat. 

The building blocks are the same:

Potato tikkis

Dry peas aka Matar (soak the dry yellow peas and boil them with a little bit of salt. Then fry them in a pan with some cumin and salt and red pepper). Also this is something I have eaten only in Kanpur. Most of the other cities replace this with potato - which is the reason why I do not like the chaat any where else. If you have not tried it ever - please do so. However there is a minor risk attached, you might just become a convert like me and will end up not liking the chaat anywhere else 'cause they make it with potatoes (???!!!)

Tamarind and jaggery chutney

Coriander chutney (with lots of dry mango powder i.e. amchoor)

Yoghurt

Grated radish and radish leaves (also does not feature any where else I have tried except home sweet home - this is an absolute must!)

That is the basic stuff you need - rest is common sense (salt, red pepper, chaat masala etc) and intuitive (crushed - papdi /puri of the pani-puri sans the pani ofcourse / potato crisps) etc etc etc.

Basically everything tangy, mouth watering, spicy you have ever come across at a chaat- wala's !

The basic idea is simple - lot's of small, simple and easy things come together to finally make the most wonderful of all street foods - CHAAT ! 

Like they say :

"Sometimes little things matter the most, because it is the little things which add up, that makes the most difference" - as in life, so in chaat! 

Happy eating !