Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Dahi-batata Chaat Towers(Yogurt and potato Chaat)

Dahi-batata chaat towers
A 'chaat' is a kind of street food that probably combines all the tastes(sweet, spicy, tangy, salty) and all the textures(crunchy, gooey, soft, crispy) that food can be made into. In India,there are different types of chaats-the most popular being bhel puri, pani puri, sev puri and so on and so forth(oh my-just writing about them is making my mouth water). What started as a street food is now also on the menu of most big restaurants,because let's face it-it's something which all Indians love!!!
Besides bhel-puri,my all time favourite chaat is anything which has 'dahi'/yogurt. I love the taste of yogurt when it's mixed with a spicy cilantro chutney and the sweet-n-spicy tamarind and date chutney. I found some Quaker puffed rice cakes (which claims to have 5gms of fiber/cake and is made of whole grain brown rice)at the grocery store and instantly visions of 'chaat' flashed across my mind. I used the rice cakes as a base and built the chaat tower on it. Here's what went onto the rice cakes:
Ingredients:(Serves 2)
  • Rice cakes: 4
  • Spicy cilantro chutney/Green apple chutney: 4 tbsps
  • Boiled potatoes: 2 (coarsely crumbled)
  • Onions: 2-3 tbsp finely chopped
  • Tomatoes: 3 tbsp finely chopped
  • Cilantro/coriander leaves: 3 tbsp finely chopped
  • Green chillies:1-2 finely chopped(optional)
  • Plain yogurt: 3-4 tbsp
  • Tamarind-date chutney: 3 tbsp
  • Sev: 4tsp
  • Chaat masala: 2tsp
Method:
  1. Spread some spicy cilantro chutney/green apple chutney on the rice cake.
  2. Layer it with a mixture of boiled potatoes,chopped onions,cilantro,tomatoes and green chillies(optional).
  3. Slowly drizzle some yogurt and some tamarind-date chutney over it.
  4. Finally sprinkle a teaspoon of sev and some chaat masala over it and your chaat is ready!!
You can even add some sprouts or some tangy fruits to add in some more flavors and textures.
Eating the towers can be a little messy,but it's worth a try!!






Question: What is your favorite street food?

14 comments:

Christo Gonzales said...

this is street food? I think this would be my favorite!

Nithya said...

yummmmm :)

Tina said...

Tempting and yummy chaat..

Anonymous said...

Delicious towers! Glad to see you online!

MelindaRD said...

This looks great. I think your presentation of this dish could pass for fine dining. My fave street food is (don't laugh), hot pretzels. But, if I am somewhere where they have samosas on the street, then that is what I want.

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

DB:you'll have a great time if you ever went to India.
Nithya,Tina:nothing beats a plate of 'chaat'.
5 Star Foodie: Thank you,will try and post more regularly henceforth.
Melinda:Samosas!!!Now that's something I haven't eaten in a loooong time :)

Gina; The Candid RD said...

Favorite street food: GYROS!! However, this recipe sounds like it's right up my alley. Anything that involves rice cakes is tasty in my opinion! My favorite snack is white cheddar rice cakes with crunchy peanut butter!

Angie's Recipes said...

That's a huge rice canape! Delicious!

Angie said...

Looks delish!!

so good to see you Sweta!!

theUngourmet said...

What an awesome use for rice cakes! This looks terrific! I really love Gyros!

Andrea@WellnessNotes said...

Amazing dish! I love all the flavors...

chow and chatter said...

I am with doggy bloggy I miss your posts LOL Rebecca

Juliana said...

Sweta, this potato dish looks so yummie, nice pictures!

Simply Life said...

what a great idea and beautiful presentation!