My mother, who I dubbed the snack queen, was always bringing us snacks. Not even joking. Always bringing us snacks. A magical bowl or plate of snacks would appear at least twice a day. It was either chaat she made with love and attention, fried masala aloo (spiced potatoes), a few biscuits with juice, or anything else we had in the house. It was especially memorable if she made Samosa Chaat with homemade yogurt. This meant that we had fresh samosas on hand from one of our family friends, whom my dad fondly calls sardarji, and she made her famous Chole some time during the week. Lucky, lucky us! Samosa Chaat has all the textures and flavor profiles that I love in food! The Chole is hearty and warm. The samosas are crispy on the outside with a flavorful filling. The dahi is cooling, both spice-wise as well as in terms of temperature. The spices are minimal but add just that bit of extra flavor. Fresh cilantro and pomegranate arils for a pop of color and freshness. And sev for an extra bit of crunch. As soon as you finish a bowl, be ready for a nap or a couple cups of chai!
What is Samosa Chaat?
Let’s begin by defining chaat. A popular street food in South Asia, “chaat” describes an entire category of Indian snacks! They’re the preferred vegetarian starter at any desi restaurant. It hits every flavor profile and texture that makes it craveable - sweet, spicy, tangy, salty, crunchy. Chaat is essentially a quick snack that can be made at home or bought from a street vendor. It’s typically enjoyed over a cup of masala chai with family and friends. Samosa Chaat is a vegetarian dish consisting of smashed samosas served over a bed of Chole, or chickpea curry. It’s then topped with layers of dahi, cilantro-mint chutney, imli chutney, pomegranates, sev, and cilantro. It’s a popular street snack in India due to it’s hearty nature that hits all the flavor profiles - sweet, spicy, and tangy!
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
There are six main components and ingredients to making Samosa Chaat. A lot of them can be gathered from a local Indian restaurant, i.e. the Chole (or Chana Masala at some restaurants), the samosas, dahi, and the chutneys can easily be purchased from the menu. It’s, of course, best to make them all fresh at home or using leftovers! Chole is a North Indian curry made out of chickpeas, onion, tomato, and spices. It’s plant-based and packed with protein, making it a popular recipe. The chickpeas are slow-cooked in a pressure cooker so the curry is incredibly flavorful and hearty. It’s made on the dry-side for Samosa Chaat since it’s the base where the samosa will sit on top of. Dahi, translated to curd, is cultured milk that is boiled, frothed, and mixed with a starter to make an Indian-style yogurt in the Indian subcontinent. It balances out the spiciness coming from the Chole and chutneys. A Samosa is a deep-fried South Asian snack and appetizer that’s traditionally filled with spiced potatoes and peas. Other variations include pumpkin or meat fillings like chicken keema (spiced ground chicken). Use homemade samosas, store-bought, grab a few from the local Indian restaurant, or frozen samosas. Cilantro-mint chutney and imli (tamarind) chutney are the “sauces”. They’re easy to make at home, or they are available in bottles at Indian grocers. For the spices, roasted cumin powder (or regular cumin powder), Kashmiri chili powder for a bit of mild heat, and chaat masala adds a bit of warmth, spice, and tang. In terms of toppings, Pomegranates and fine sev adds a bit of crunch to the saucy chaat. Cilantro adds additional freshness and color.
How to Make Chole
First, start off by preparing the Chole, which is the base of the Samosa Chaat. Chole can be purchased at just about any local Indian restaurant. It’s also found in the frozen section or comes readymade in ethnic grocery aisles, usually under the name “Chana Masala”. If the gravy isn’t thick after preparation, you’ll want to simmer it until it’s less watery. Making it at home has the best results, hands down. Chole can be made stove top or within 50 minutes in an Instant Pot. Most Indian families use dried chickpeas to start with. Canned chickpeas cut down on the time required to soak dried beans.
How to Make Samosa Chaat
Samosa Chaat is made of six separate layers. It’s best to work down the list while assembling it. Finish with an extra drizzle of dahi so that the white color pops against all the browns and greens.
Serving Instructions
The Samosa Chaat will be a mixture of hot and cool ingredients. The samosa and Chole should be warm, whereas the dahi, chutneys, and toppings will be cool. It is best served immediately, while the Chole is still warm and the samosa is crisp. It’s great during snack time, around the late afternoon, with a fresh cup of masala chai. If making ahead, store everything separately to prevent the samosas from getting soggy and all the liquids mixing together. Assemble when ready to consume. The presentation and distinct layers are half of the fun of eating chaat.
More Indian Snack Recipes to try
If you love samosa, try these Paneer Aloo Samosas or Pumpkin Pie Samosas!
Recipe
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