Foodie Time: A Little Chaat

It's no secret to friends and family that I adore Indian food from all corners of the country! And I like to experiment with flavours when I cook it at home - altering the spices, mixing the origins, and playing with the intensity. So, it has been quite tantalizing over the past few weeks for me to just sit back and eat - banished from the kitchen. However, I have been doing a bit of sleuthing and can't wait to try some of these dishes out in my own beloved kitchen. 

We have been pretty careful about where we eat, as I can never really know whether something is gluten-free or clean enough on the street. So we have been spoilt in great restaurants, in our own Guest House, and by dear friends. All the food has been superb.

I'd like to share one simple snack with you that even impressed our local friends and vanished within minutes. It's got sparklingly fresh flavours, sweet, salty, savoury....great umami...can easily be adjusted for heat, and it's almost too easy to make. Great little cocktail bite!!

Here's my take on the Peanut Chaat that we tasted in Dehradun. I'm going to give you very approximate amounts because you really should make this to tickle your own tastebuds, and because I don't have a kitchen to test it in!

Peanut Chaat

Add the following ingredients to a large bowl.

1 small red onion, diced

1 small bunch of cilantro (leaves & some stems), rinsed & chopped

1 - 2 small tomatoes, seeded, if inclined, & chopped

1 - 2 green chiles, chopped finely (If you like it mild, make sure you get rid of any membrane and seeds...if you like it hot, adjust accordingly. I like some heat and include the whole shabang. If you are unsure, I suggest that you keep the membrane and seeds separately, and then add them if you want more zest.)

2 - 4 cups of unsalted peanuts in their own jackets

Mix all the ingredients together gently, and taste. Adjust accordingly.

Now you can add some chaat masala. This is a spice mix made especially for this type of snack. If you can't find it in your shops, you can make it by blending ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, asafoetida, chilli powder, dried mango powder and black salt to taste (or get whole spices and grind in your own pestle & mortar. But, let that be a guide. Remember that you should like the food, so use what you like. You can keep it simple by only using one or two of the ingredients, such as salt and chilli powder. Or, try this recipe for chaat masala that looks pretty good to me. 

This chaat was so good
that it was nearly all gone by the time I remembered to snap!

Do you have any favourite Chaat? I'd love to hear about it!

Oh...by the way, Dehradun was great! I'll tell you about the beautiful road that meandered up lush hills, the monkeys, and the shops another time! Oh, the shopping!