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Chaat, or chāt ( IAST: ''cāṭ)'' () is a family of savoury
The word derives from Hindi ''cāṭ'' चाट (tasting, a delicacy), from ''cāṭnā'' चाटना (to lick, as in licking one's fingers while eating), from
The chaat variants are all based on fried dough, with various other ingredients. The original chaat is a mixture of potato pieces, crisp fried bread dahi vada or dahi bhalla, gram or chickpeas and tangy-salty spices, with sour Indian chili and saunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh green coriander leaves and yogurt for garnish, but other popular variants included alu tikkis or samosa (garnished with onion, potatoes, coriander, peas, hot spices and a dash of yogurt), bhel puri, dahi puri, panipuri, dahi vada, papri chaat, and sev puri.
There are common elements among these variants including dahi (yogurt); chopped onions and
snack
A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home.
Traditionally, snacks are ...
s that originated in North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Centr ...
, typically served as an hors d'oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
in North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Centr ...
, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...
. With its origins in Uttar Pradesh, India, chaat has become immensely popular in the rest of South Asia.
Etymology
The word derives from Hindi ''cāṭ'' चाट (tasting, a delicacy), from ''cāṭnā'' चाटना (to lick, as in licking one's fingers while eating), from Prakrit
The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
''caṭṭei'' चट्टेइ (to devour with relish, eat noisily).Oxford English Dictionary. ''Chaat''. Mar. 2005 Online edition. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
Overview
The chaat variants are all based on fried dough, with various other ingredients. The original chaat is a mixture of potato pieces, crisp fried bread dahi vada or dahi bhalla, gram or chickpeas and tangy-salty spices, with sour Indian chili and saunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh green coriander leaves and yogurt for garnish, but other popular variants included alu tikkis or samosa (garnished with onion, potatoes, coriander, peas, hot spices and a dash of yogurt), bhel puri, dahi puri, panipuri, dahi vada, papri chaat, and sev puri.
There are common elements among these variants including dahi (yogurt); chopped onions and coriander
Coriander (;
; sev (thin dried yellow salty noodles); and chaat masala
Chaat masala, also spelled chat masala, is a powder spice mix, or masala, originating from South Asia, typically used to add flavor to chaat. It typically consists of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, coriander, dried ginger, salt (often bla ...
, typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...
powder), cumin
Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a
kala namak (Himalayan black rock salt),
* Alu chaat - Potatoes (''alu'' in Hindi) cut into small pieces, fried till crisp and served with
Daulat ki chaat
- A sweet preparation made from keeping condensed milk in winter mist. *Ram ladoo - Round fitters made from mong dal and served with radish and grey chutney. * Dabeli - a sweet and sour burger like Gujrati snack made with potatoes, sev , groundnut and pomegranate *Barule - whole potato coated with besan is deepfried and served with green chutney.
coriander
Coriander (;
, dried ginger
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of ...
, salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
, black pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in di ...
, and red pepper. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate or a banana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl.
History
Some of the dishes now categorized as chaats, such as Dahi Vada, can be traced back to ancient periods. A recipe for a dahi vada analogue called ''kshiravata'' is mentioned in ''Manasollasa
The ' also known as ''Abhilashitartha Chintamani'', is an early 12th-century Sanskrit text composed by the Kalyani Chalukya king Someshvara III, who ruled in present-day Karnataka . It is an encyclopedic work covering topics such as polity, gov ...
'', a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III
Someshvara III (; ) was a Western Chalukya king (also known as the Kalyani Chalukyas), the son and successor of Vikramaditya VI. He ascended the throne of the Western Chalukya Kingdom in 1126 CE, or 1127 CE.
Someshvara III, the third king in ...
, who ruled from present-day Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...
. According to food historian K.T Achaya, descriptions of dahi vada also appear in literature far ealier from 500 BC.
Chaat as an organized phenomenon or distinct group of dishes, according to culinary anthropologist Kurush Dalal, originated in northern India (now Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
) in the late 17th century during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugh ...
. The royal doctors had asked the people of Delhi to consume spicy and fried snacks, as well as dahi, as a countermeasure to the alkaline water of the Yamuna river that coursed through the city. Thus, chaat was invented.
Most chaats originated in some parts of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
in India, but they are now eaten all across South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
and neighboring countries. Some are results of cultural syncretism
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...
.
Regions
Chaat is famous inSouth Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
in India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...
.
Variations
* Alu chaat - Potatoes (''alu'' in Hindi) cut into small pieces, fried till crisp and served with chutney
A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sau ...
* Alu tikki
* Bedmi - Puri
Puri () is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as ''S ...
stuffed with dal and fried till crisp. Typically served with alu sabji and eaten for breakfast
* Bhalla/ alu tikki
* Bhelpuri
* Ragda patties (alu tikki chaat)
* Cheela- Besan (chickpea flour) pancakes served with chutney
A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sau ...
and sooth (sweet chutney)
* Chotpoti, mixture of boiled diced potatoes, boiled chickpeas and sliced onions and chillies with grated eggs on top. Many kinds of roasted spice powder are used in its preparation.
* Dahi puri
* Dahi vada
* Kachori- or Kachauri, with variants such as Khasta Kachuari
* Mangode - Similar to pakora, but besan paste is replaced with yellow moong paste
* Pakora - Different things such as paneer, vegetable dipped in besan (chickpea/gram flour) paste and fried.
* Panipuri
* Masalapuri
Masala puri, or Masalpuri, is an Indian snack which is especially popular in the southern state of Karnataka. A form of chaat, the dish originated in the Indian state of Karnataka and has now become famous in the entire Indian subcontinent. Typi ...
* Chana chaat
* Papri chaat - This contains fried patty called papri as an extra ingredient.
* Samosa chaat - samosa is broken into pieces with green and sweet chutney added to it.
* Sevpuri
* Vada pav
Vada pav, alternatively spelt wada pao, is a vegetarian fast food dish native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The dish consists of a deep fried potato dumpling placed inside a bread bun (''pav'') sliced almost in half through the middle. ...
* Dahi bhallay ki chaat (bhallay, potatoes, chickpeas, imli chutney, chaat masala, onions, tomatoes, dahi etc.)
* Beetroot & potato chaat
* Dhaka chaat
* Paneer chaat puri
* Thattu Vadai Set
*Dal ki chaat - Made with moong dal mixed with spices and chutney and accompanied with wheat biscuits. Popular in Meerut
*Raj kachori - a big hollow ball made with wheat and filled with sprouts, chickpeas, potatoes, bhalla and chutneys (sweet and green).
*Basket chaat - Edible bowl made with potato and filled with sprouts, chickpeas, potato and chutneys . Popular in LucknowDaulat ki chaat
- A sweet preparation made from keeping condensed milk in winter mist. *Ram ladoo - Round fitters made from mong dal and served with radish and grey chutney. * Dabeli - a sweet and sour burger like Gujrati snack made with potatoes, sev , groundnut and pomegranate *Barule - whole potato coated with besan is deepfried and served with green chutney.
See also
* List of Indian snack foods *List of tapas
This is a list of common tapas dishes. Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid).
In select rest ...
(Spanish snacks)
*
References
External links
* {{Portal bar, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Caribbean, Food Bangladeshi snack foods Bangladeshi fast food Pakistani snack foods Pakistani fast food Indian snack foods Bihari cuisine Nepalese cuisine Uttar Pradeshi cuisine Indian fast food Appetizers Gujarati cuisine Street food Pakistani cuisine Bangladeshi cuisine Indo-Caribbean cuisine