Your Favorite Chaat

[Episure]

Oh, so you were the other guy taking pictures also.

Pani Puri - probably the world's first example of molecular gastronomy

Pani Poori is the king of chaat.

My recent pani poori binge in Bandra is chronicled in "Liquid Lunch" at www.memestream.org.

mbjesq

www.memestream.org

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[Ce'nedra]

I haven't tried all of them but Dahi Puri is sooo good! Those pictures posted by percyn are just mouth watering...

[v. gautam]

Ce'nedra,

I don't know if by dahi poori you are referring to the concoction that also goes by the name Papdi ka chaat : crisp flour wafers, w/, w/o garbanzo beans, thich beaten yoghurt, tamarind sauce?

While the papdi-s in question do have carom seeds etc. incorporated in their dough and have a short crust and may be slightly thicker etc.,a serviceable homemade 'fix' [quicker, cheaper!] may be made from good quality wheat flour tortillas, cut up and deep fried. [Perhaps you could also try brushing these with oil and baking them to crispness, having placed them on wire racks; I have not.]

You have canned chickpeas (drained), tamarind and green chutneys pre-made plus MDH brand chunky chaat masala on many supermarket shelves these days. Chopped red onions, and thick creamy yoghurt (beaten), Greek style, of fat level from 0-12 % appropriate for your diet and lifestyle: adjust seasonings with a bit of lime juice and green/red fresh Thai chillies, salt, if need be, and you are in business!

You may even wish to sprinkle the finished plate with SEV, the thin strings of fried chickpea flour (found packaged in Indian groceries or through mail order), or with BOONDI-s, tiny round balls of same, for added crunch. This is not necessary, and may be heterodox, for this chaat! Similarly non-traditional but lovely: sprinkle a few fresh pomegranate vesicles over, for a special visual and taste treat.

gautam

[percyn]

I don't know if by dahi poori you are referring to the concoction that also goes by the name Papdi ka chaat : crisp flour wafers, w/, w/o garbanzo beans, thich beaten yoghurt, tamarind sauce?

v.gautam, while the yoghurt, tamarind, sev, etc are the same between Papdi ka chaat and Dahi Puri, the difference is that instead of the Papdi, the use Puris (the same puris as are used in Pani Puri).

It is quite possible that Dhai Puri is more of a Bombay thing.

[v. gautam]

Percy,

How would you construct your favorite dahi puri?

Thanks.

gautam

P.S. BTW, Ce'nedra, packaged pani puri puffs are available and may be refreshed in the oven for a passable home-made fix. Now, follow Percy's directions!!

Edited September 21, 2007 by v. gautam (log)

[Ce'nedra]

Ce'nedra,

I don't know if by dahi poori you are referring to the concoction that also goes by the name Papdi ka chaat : crisp flour wafers, w/, w/o garbanzo beans, thich beaten yoghurt, tamarind sauce?

While the papdi-s in question do have carom seeds etc. incorporated in their dough and have a short crust and may be slightly thicker etc.,a serviceable homemade 'fix' [quicker, cheaper!] may be made from good quality wheat flour tortillas, cut up and deep fried. [Perhaps you could also try brushing these with oil and baking them to crispness, having placed them on wire racks; I have not.]

You have canned chickpeas (drained), tamarind  and green chutneys pre-made plus MDH brand chunky chaat masala on many supermarket shelves these days. Chopped red onions, and thick creamy yoghurt (beaten), Greek style, of fat level from 0-12 % appropriate for your  diet and lifestyle: adjust seasonings with a bit of lime juice and green/red fresh Thai chillies, salt, if need be, and you are in business!

You may even wish to sprinkle the finished plate with SEV, the thin strings of fried chickpea flour (found packaged in Indian groceries or through mail order), or with BOONDI-s, tiny round balls of same, for added crunch. This is not necessary, and  may be heterodox, for this chaat! Similarly non-traditional but lovely: sprinkle a few fresh pomegranate vesicles over,  for a special visual and taste treat.

gautam

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Haha sorry about my lack of knowledge in Indian cuisine!

But yes, your description of the Papdi ka chaat sounds about right to what I had-definately with the crispy wafers.

I took a picture of it too...here we go (is this it?):

What's the name for this one?

And thank you for your extensive knowledge on my beloved Papdi ka chaat

[Ce'nedra]

P.S. BTW, Ce'nedra, packaged pani puri puffs are available  and may be refreshed in the oven for a passable home-made fix. Now, follow Percy's directions!!

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Thanks for the tip

[v. gautam]

Photo. #1 (on top) by Sir Percy's Mumbaikar canon seems to be the the exact dahi puri described by him upthread. We await his 'recipe'!

The second photograph could be papdi ka chaat; my eyesight is poor, i distinguish mint leaves, green chutney, but cannot quite see the whole wafers or their outlines, are their potatoes there(bottom left hand corner)? [should not be there in a papdi chaat] Whatever, it is important that it made you happy! And it can be replicated easily and cheaply at home from off-the-shelf goodies with no fuss at all in seconds.

Plus, the chutneys etc. once opened stay in the fridge for a long time unspoiled, lending themselves to other types to other types of chaat like bhelpuri, samosa, aloo kabuli, churmuri, etc.

The other nice thing with Greek yogurt in the US is that it comes in several fat contents from 0-12% but each having an almost equally "creamy" mouthfeel when beaten.

Finally, the unbeatable convenience [and healthy attributes] of canned chickpeas, as well as the increasing availability of SEV in supermarkets and via mailorder.

gautam

P.S. Thanks to the inimitable master (mistress), Gingerly, see her fantastic chaat recipe link upthread (lots of recipes ), post #8,

from which I extracted this very useful baked dish that can be used as an (potato/chickpea) aloo-tikki chaat base, no frying involved:

http://www.tarladalal.com/ViewContributedR...p?recipeid=2353

Edited September 22, 2007 by v. gautam (log)

[waaza]

Namaste Gautam, my friend,

are those 'wafers' gol gappas?

cheers

waaza

[v. gautam]

Namaste, Waaza,

As you may have noted in the discussion upthread, the dahi puris apparently are constructed from a base of pani puri/ gol gappa puffs [see Percy's post, #3 for a lavish version hidden under sev, no features distinguishable!; and Ce'nedra's post, first picture, anatomy open to investigation!].

The 'crisp wafers' in question are a second type of chaat, not too dissimilar other than in its base, from the dahi puri. They are round flat, (not fluffy gol gappa puffs) dough crisps cut and fried from sheets of short flour dough, variously flavored with carom etc, called "papdi".

Treated in the usual style, and I believe, visible, (but not to my poor sight) in the second of Ce'nedra's photos. Hope that clairfies, not confuses, what you were getting at? So gol gappa puffs go into making dahi puris, papdis into papdi ka chaat.

g

[percyn]

Ce'nedra, the first picture you have posted is indeed Dhai Puri (seems to be lacking the normal amount of sev - the yellow squigly things on top). The second picture does indeed look like Papdi Chaat, though it is a bit hard to decipher from that picture.

Gautum, it has been a while since I made Dhai Puri, but here is what I remember:

- Using your thumb or forefinger, poke/tap open the top of the puri to make a mini cup shaped puri (similar to pani puri). A typical serving is 6 puris per person.

- Fill the puri with slices of boiled potato, diced (red) onion, garbanzo beans (a.k.a chickpeas - ideally with the skin on, though you can also use the ones from a can), and the head of bean sprouts

- Add a dollop of cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney in each puri

- Drizzle thick (greek style) yogurt (which been beaten until smooth) on top of the puris

- Top yogurt with sev, cilantro leaves, a pinch of chili powder and chaat masala

Try to eat it by putting the entire puri in your mouth, though if you cannot, breaking it in half is OK.

Edited September 26, 2007 by percyn (log)

[Ce'nedra]

Thanks for all the help v. gautam and percyn. Next time I go to an Indian restaurant, I know exactly WHAT to order

[v. gautam]

If i might suggest a tiny modification: boiled potato [ you can try several types, red, Yukon gold, fingerling, ratter, russet, skin on/off to suit your taste, steamed, boiled whole-then drained-placed whole back on fire for a it to cook/steam etc]

toss the slices or rough broken chunks with the chaat masala and black/pink salt [rock salt], chopped red onion, and/or cilantro , chickpeas first. Seasoned potatoes seem to taste better?

Lightly sprouted mung beans, just showing tips of roots, cooked.

Chutneys, beaten yogurt. Proceed according to Percy's directions with generous helping of SEV.

Ce'nedra, why wait for restaurants and waste $5/6???? You can make several helpings for that amount! Plus your time and hassle (or fun!), of course.

Are you anywhere near Berkeley, CA? Vik's Chaat Corner is famous. In NYC, Sukhadia's and Dimple Chaat.

g

BTW, Ce'nedra be careful when you speak of "Indian" restaurants: these chaats,like dim sum, have regional identities and are best eaten when prepared by those hailing from the same places the chaat originated.

Many "Indian" restaurants are run by Bangladeshis, others by Pakistanis . The former are geniuses of the fabulous, i.e. in their own inventive imaginations that bear little resemblance to any traditional styles of cooking from India. The latter may do a few chaat items well [e.g aloo tikki] but not all [esp. dahi poori, papdi, bhel, etc.].

Many Chaats are regional specialties of the North and the West, with subregional specialties like Bhelpuri and Dahi puri being best prepared by those restaurants whose owners AND cooks come from MUMBAI and GUJARAT.

[by way of comparison, have you seen Korean owners of Japanese restaurants turn out first rate Japanese food, sushi etc.? Same issues here.]

Papdi ka chaat, samosa ka chaat, aloo tikki are essentially Uttar Pradesh/Hindu vegetarian in origin from whence they spread to Punjab and Pakistan.

For example, just as roast pork buns vary latitudinally across China, so do the round airy puffs in the North:

Pani Puri Mumbai: puffs with boiled split mung beans, tamarind water, mint/green

Gol Gappa puffs Delhi, Punjab

1.phoochka puffs with spiced mashed potato filling, only spicy tamarind water

2. aloo kabuli ....Kolkata, Bengal, redaction of N. Indian ideas

3. churmuri: potato slices dressed in sour, hot tamarind sauce, sliced onion, crushed puffs, i.e. (semi1+ 2)

Edited September 26, 2007 by v. gautam (log)

[v. gautam]

Con(?)-Fusion Chaat: Are you adventurous enough to try this recipe tucked away among several interesting chaats in the address below:

http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review11.htm

For the sake of academic investigation, the entire recipe deserves publication, it is that unique!

"With egg-macaroni

Ingredients

4 eggs, hard boiled

1 cup macaroni

1 cup grated cheese

2 chopped green chillies

4 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tbsp chopped mint

Salt to taste

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chaat masala

Chili-garlic, tomato sauce

Method

Boil macaroni till soft, and then cook with grated cheese until well mixed. Put aside to cool. Cut boiled eggs into small pieces. In a large bowl slowly mix together the cooked macaroni-cheese, eggs, coriander, mint, chaat masala, salt, pepper and ketchup. Serve cold."

Check the site out: there is another zinger.

g

[rummate]

I have seen a banner proclaiming 'Chinese Bhel' in Hyderabad

Didnt have the courage to try this but maybe next time i will.

[mbjesq]

OK, it isn't exactly chaat; but it it isn't exactly not chaat either. Kathi rolls are a ubiquitous snack food (or light meal) on the streets and in the small shops of Kolkata. And none are better than Nizam's.

My review, with more photos, is at NIzam's: Perfection in a Paratha.

And check-out this review of the awesome rasgulla at Kher Brothers, in Salepur, Orissa.

Cheers,

MBJ

http://memestreamblog.wordpress.com

[percyn]

I had some chaat "kits" in my pantry, which I decided to use when some relatives were over...

Sev Puri - Add onions, potato, cilantro, chutney provided. Not bad, but had something missing.

Dhai Puri - Puffed puri came individually wrapped, but were not crispy fresh, thus brought the overall taste of the dish down.

Pani Puri - Same puri from above, but no yogurt and mixed the spices in cold water

[ushnishas]

Percyn, everone drools over your photographs of food.

In Bombay we call the chaat in the second photograph Dahi Batata Puri, puris stuffed with boiled batata ie potato with red chilli powder and salt, generous scoops of whipped dahi ie yogurt poured on them, scattered with salt-red chilli powder- roasted jeera powder, and boiled mung beansprouts scattered over them with chopped coriander leaves, then offered with sweet-n-sour date-tamarind chutney and hot green chilli-coriander leaf chutney on the side.

Then we have the Sev Dahi Batata Puri, which is the same thing with fried fine gramflour vermicelli ie sev sprinkled on top, giving a different texture and taste.

Then we have the Dahi Pakodi Puri, using small dal fritters or vadas previously softened in hot water for stuffing the puris instead of potato, everything else being the same.

Then we have the Sev Batata Puri, which is like Sev Dahi Batata Puri without the dahi or yogurt, and made with the crisp flat puris used in Bhel- not the puffed puris.

Here we have finely chopped onion and/or tomato and/or green chillies also scattered on top if you wish, and finely chopped raw green mango in season.

The wonderful Pani Puri is assembled with puffed puris, boiled mung beansprouts(a Bombay thing) and/or boiled channa, date-tamarind chutney, and a chilli-hot green spicy liquid which is the pani. Make a hole in the puri, stuff with sprouts, dip in pani and put in your eager mouth. Some panipuri wallas use soft boondis for stuffing, some people prefer yellow peas ragra or ghugni for stuffing. In Calcutta they like spiced boiled potato in their Phoochkas as they call them. In Delhi they have potato and/or boondis in their Gol Guppas.

My friends and I always start with the Pani Puris, then on to the Dahi Batata Puris, back to more Pani Puris. Sometimes we have Sev Batata Puris and Bhel instead of Dahi Batata Puris.

And it always ends with gorgeous Kulfis! Malai, kesar(saffron), pistachio, rose, coconut, or a mixture of these melting creamy chilled confections with falooda.

Mmmmm! This is Bombay.

[percyn]

ushnishas, thanks for the compliment and the great description of the variation on Dahi Puris.

[ushnishas]

You deserve it, Percy! *Here is a deadly recipe for the pani for Pani-puri!

Take a pingpong ball-sized lump of tamarind (imli), crush and soak in a little cold water.

Grind to medium consistency the following:

3/4 cup chopped washed and trimmed mint leaves

1/4 cup chopped washed and trimmed coriander leaves

3-6 chopped green chillies

1/2 inch peeled ginger, chopped

and add to 7 1/4 cups cold water with salt to taste.

Now grind finely the following:

3 cloves

11 whole black peppercorns

1 inch piece of cinnamon

and add to the water. Extract tamarind juice and add to the spiced water.

Mix in:

1 teaspoon black salt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp roasted jeera powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

Store in fridge. Serve chilled with puris, fillings and chutneys.

If in season use raw green mango instead of tamarind.

*Sweet-n-Sour Chutney

250 grams dates

100-150 grams jaggery shavings

50 grams tamarind (imli)

Soak dates and tamarind in warm water. Remove seeds.

Crush in blender and strain. Add salt, 1 tsp red chilli powder

and 1/2 tsp roasted jeera powder OR dhania powder to taste.

*Green Chutney

12-15 green chillies

10-15 gatthias (those fried besan strips) or roasted channa

A few sprigs of coriander leaves, washed and chopped

8 leaves mint

a tiny piece of peeled ginger

Mix all in grinder. Add salt to taste and juice of a lemon.

*Hot Red Chilli-Garlic Chutney

10 red chillies - Put in a cup of boiling water.

Remove when soft and seed.

Grind with 4-5 garlic cloves, a little water and salt to taste.

Edited May 21, 2008 by ushnishas (log)