Chaat time!

Something that is unique to India is Chaat- You might recreate all the masala food at home but nothing can beat the road side vendor's chaat items- Don't confuse chaat for chat...Chaat is nothing but savory snacks usually sold by street stalls in northern India. Delhi is so famous for chaat and once you are hooked then come 4 pm all you can think is chaat with chai (tea). Chaat varieties are different and if you are really interested in knowing the various types- here is a good read- Chaat (thanks to wikipedia!)

My all time favorite is Bhel puri- It's easy and simple to make-

What do we need?

1 cup puffed rice
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped corriander leaves
chopped green chilly pieces (2-3 green chillies)
lemon juice (1 tbsp)
tamarind chutney 2 tsp
1/2 cup boiled mashed potatoes
mint chutney 2 tsp
1/2 cup sev (fried lentils based noodles- readily available in the stores)
chopped ginger (1 tsp)
dash of garam masala

Tamarind chutney can be home made- Take about a small cup of tamarind (without seeds) and allow it to soak in warm water for half an hour. Extract the pulp. In a pan, add the tamarind pulp and around 1 cup of grated jaggery. Cook on a low flame. Add salt, roasted cumin powder (1 tsp), red chilly powder (1tsp). Cook till the jaggery disolves and the mixture becomes semi thick. Remove from fire and store in a tight container. Can be used as a dip for samosa and other savory snacks!

Mint chutney- Grind half cup of mint leaves with handful of coriander leaves with green chillies. Blend it to a smooth paste with salt and lemon juice.

Preparation-

Now for the Bhel puri- (You don't have to stick to the above list as a rule- You can use your own creativity and improvise the chaat)

Mix puffed rice, tomatoes and onions in a bowl
Add the mashed potatoes
Mix the mint chutney and tamarind chutney along with a dash of garam masala
Add the sev, ginger, chilly pieces and lemon juice- blend all the ingredients well.
Garnish with coriander leaves!

The best part is they will roll the bhel puri in a newspaper cone and give it to you- Really worth a try!