You all swear by your chaat— that sweet, sour, spicy, crispy snack sold on roadside carts and food stalls in almost every neighbourhood across the country. But how about a chaat hummus, a flavourful fusion of the popular Middle-Eastern dip served with crisp, baked papdi and crunchy farsan and berries, or a dhokla chaat, which is a playful twist on the beloved Gujarati snack?
Chaat, a traditional, savoury snack sold by street vendors, has remained a favourite as a conversation starter among friends and families, as an appetiser in weddings and fancy culinary outlets and as a unique selling proposition for mass market food chains like Haldiram’s or Bikanervala across the world.
However, over the years, the authentic versions of chaat, like gol gappa or dahi bhalla in north India, pani puri or puchka in Kolkata or the northeast, have gone through innovation and experimentation in flavour, presentation and artistry to take centrestage in modern culinary interpretations. Both Indian and international chefs are dishing out innovative versions of the humble street food giving the traditional snack a new-age makeover.
Punjab Grill, the flagship of multi-brand restaurant group Lite Bite Foods, has recreated a signature version of the street-style palak patta chaat. It has a tumble of onion, tomatoes and edamame on light and crispy fried spinach leaves with a dash of mint and tamarind chutneys, covered with yoghurt foam and topped with corn chips and beetroot crisps. Another variation is the dahi papdi chaat—potato and sweet curd topped with flaky papdi, mint and tamarind chutneys, creating a symphony of flavours in each bite with yoghurt foam, edamame and beet crisps.
Similarly, Delhi Pavilion at Sheraton New Delhi offers a Delhi chaat bento box with aloo tikki, papdi chaat and gourmet palak chaat. The box relives Delhi’s glorious past inspired by Dehlnavi cuisine and its fascinating mix of variety and limited bite-sized portions.
At the award-winning fine-dining restaurant Indian Accent in New Delhi, you can have a burrata chaat, in which chef and culinary director Manish Mehrotra pairs the creaminess of burrata with the crunch of fried lotus stem, and the sweetness and tartness of tomato murabba (jam). This, along with the daulat ki chaat with rose petal chikki and roast almond, is a delight for chaat lovers.
A modern touch
Indian cuisine is known for its diverse flavours and myriad offerings. But chaat stands out for its unique blend of textures and tastes. A beloved street food across the Indian subcontinent, it tantalises taste buds with its tangy, spicy and sweet flavours, making it a favourite among culinary experts and food enthusiasts alike.
According to Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, who is also the chef partner at Saga & Glasshouse: World Grill & Bar, Gurugram, innovation in chaat has come with the incorporation of non-traditional ingredients and flavour profiles.
“While traditional chaat recipes typically feature familiar ingredients like potatoes, chickpeas and various chutneys, modern interpretations often include unconventional additions like avocado, quinoa or tofu. These innovative twists not only add novelty to the dish but also cater to diverse dietary preferences, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. And despite indulgent flavours, Indian chaat offers several nutritional benefits. It’s rich in fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, thanks to the inclusion of ingredients like chickpeas, potatoes and fresh vegetables,” says Kochhar.
At Saga, Kochhar offers a chidiya samosa chaat, which is a Bihari street food served with chana, curd and imli chutney. “A variation of raj kachori is sattu raj kachori. Since I am a Punjabi born and raised in Bihar, this was an interesting take that I did and adding sattu to kachori made it healthier and added a different crisp too,” says Kochhar.
Chef Kunal Kapur recently launched a road trip menu at his restaurant Pincode by Kunal Kapur, where every dish is a pit stop on an exciting journey through India’s diverse regions like Punjab, Kerala or Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. Kapur says it’s the way one brings the warmth of tradition and most cherished treasures from the heart of India to the dining table.
“Chaat is a delightful Indian snack which is as versatile as it comes. There’s no one-size-fits-all definition for chaat as it can be anything you want it to be and most importantly it should hit the right spot. It can be sweet or savoury, spicy, sour or tangy, or it could just be a little bit of everything. Chaat is not merely to fill up your hunger, it is to satisfy your soul. Also, everyone has his own way of building up his chaat. Some like it super spicy, others like it sweet and sour but there can be no such chaat that is flat as it has to rise to a crescendo,” adds Kapur, who takes pride in the innovative chaat menu at his restaurant.
One of Kapur’s standout creations is chaat hummus, a flavourful fusion of the traditional Middle-Eastern dip or spread infused with a tangy amchoor chutney and topped with crunchy farsan and berries. It is relished with crisp baked papdi. Another hot-seller is the dhokla chaat, a playful twist on the beloved Gujarati snack.
“Taking a simple snack to a unique chaat experience, we use berry chutney, zesty passion fruit gel and the heat from wasabi peas. Also the new entrant to the menu is the table-side avocado sev puri, where freshly mashed hash avocados marry the humble sev and farsan,” adds Kapur.
People from varied backgrounds and cultures identify chaat as that combination of flavours that has been interpreted by chefs in India and across the world, especially the ones who fancy some of these creations for their consumers abroad.
“The comforting, delicious flavours excite people. The symphony of flavours, the way these flavours play on your palate makes chaat a universal dish and everybody enjoys it,” says two Michelin-starred chef Garima Arora, who owns Gaa, a modern Indian fine-dining restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand.
“It’s like why tomato and cheese are such a good combination, or why people enjoy pizza and pasta so much. You can be from any country, culture or age group, but you will always find it delicious. Chaat has a similar connotation. We have to stop recognising chaat as a dish, and rather as a combination of flavours,” she adds.
With both flavour and health, chaat combines a diverse array of ingredients such as chickpeas, potatoes, sprouts and yoghurt, offering a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates and essential nutrients. Rich in fibre and antioxidants and low in unhealthy fats, it supports digestive health, provides hydration through fresh ingredients and contributes to well-being. Its varied flavours and textures make it an enjoyable and nutritious option that can be tailored to individual preferences while offering a satisfying culinary experience.
For chef Rahul Rana, head chef at Avatara, Dubai, who has made India proud with his fine-dining, vegan and gluten-free diets on request in Dubai, an inventive approach to chaat is kadalika, a raw banana chaat, through which he turns the less favoured vegetables into flavourful and memorable dishes.
Kadalika is a unique and innovative chaat that features raw banana as a key ingredient. Raw banana is a nutritious food, rich in vitamins and minerals, and it is a healthy alternative to potatoes in various dishes. The combination of raw banana, avocado chutney and khakhra adds an interesting mix of flavours and textures. Avocado chutney provides a creamy and flavourful element, while khakhra, a type of crispy Indian flatbread, contributes to a crunchy texture.
The banana chaat is cherished by guests who appreciate the culinary flavours and creativity of Rana. He says that the popularity of chaat is still alive in the realm of international culinary preferences. “Our international guests relish and appreciate the inventive twists because both innovation and authenticity cater to a broader spectrum of tastes,” Rana tells FE.
Sweet, sour, spicy, umami, bitterness, all in one plate—chef Arora feels chaat cannot be called a dish. “There are no definite ingredients of chaat. You can recreate chaat-like flavours with any and every ingredient possible. As long as you hit the notes of chaat with savoury, acidity and sweet or bitter,” she says.
Gaa offers a tasting menu which begins with her take on chaat. “We have frozen pomegranate served with crispy mango leaves, betel leaves and other ingredients. The idea is to evoke the feeling of chaat without it having to look like chaat, or be without the chutneys and the condiments and stuff,” she adds.
Some of her other chaat variants include an oyster chaat with gooseberry juice and kasuri methi for some bitterness and umami, seaweed and dry mango powder, and a pumpkin seed chaat, which is a grilled pumpkin dish with caramelised paneer whey, flavoured with coriander oil, lime, coriander stems and grilled onions, all tossed like a chaat. “Our Indian guests know the flavours but are excited by the different ways we present it,” says Arora, who has guests visiting from across the globe.
Variety in tradition
An excursion of the national capital is incomplete without visiting the old city, especially for chaat lovers. For instance, Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala in Chandni Chowk is known for serving aloo tikki and dahi bhalle, which are quite popular among street food lovers.
Similarly, the famous kuliya chaat (kuliya is a small pot) served at the Hira Lal Chaat wale in Chawri Bazar near Jama Masjid has freshly cut chunks of seasonal fruits, filled with a spicy mixture of black salt, cumin, lemon juice, chaat masala, chickpeas and pomegranate seeds. The healthy combination, offered as a fruit chaat, is also made with cucumber, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
Ashok Chaat Corner at Chowk Hauz Qazi in old Delhi is also known for a delicacy called kalmi bade ki chaat made from chaney ki dal grounded in salt and pepper added to the dough. The small-sized dough balls are first deep-fried lightly, then sliced and fried again. Kalmi bade is crushed into small pieces, after which some yoghurt, sonth and a sweet tamarind chutney are added. Sonth is cooked with dry ginger powder, rock salt and roasted cumin and dried mango powder with ginger and boiled potatoes, chaat masala, pomegranate seeds and green, tangy chutney add a different experience to eating chaat.
There’s no end to variety when it comes to chaat. If you’re health conscious, you can try a bhutte ki chaat in Nai Sarak, which is great as an appetiser and good for calorie-conscious people too. Low on calories and rich in taste, it uses baked corn, green chillies, coriander, mint chutney, sonth chutney, chaat masala and salt. Daal moth ki chaat is another distinguished variety of snack with the main ingredient being sprouts of moong dal boiled first with turmeric. A specially prepared mixture of spice consisting of amchoor, cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper and red pepper is sprinkled on it. Then some chopped onion, tomatoes and lemon juice are added. When ready, it gives a pungent smell and a sweet and sour taste.
The long chirey ki chaat is a three-item platter using grilled besan kebab, onion, green chilli blended and put on a skewer and baked on an angeethi (traditional oven). Along with this, besan kebab, small urad dal and besan pakoras are served. These are served with a garlic-chilli chutney and onion frills.
Elsewhere in the country, bhel puri in Mumbai, ghugni chaat served on the streets of Kolkata or palak patta chaat in Uttar Pradesh are some of the snacks revered across all age groups.
In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the five-decade-old Deena Chat Bhandar serves tamatar chaat, tikki dahi and kachori dahi, besides palak patta chaat and chooda matar. All of them have been their bestsellers for the past five decades.
