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Indian Snack Food
Indian children love the Khomcha-Wallah. He wanders the streets, the busier the better, basket of goodies on his head and a cane stool under his arm. When he encounters a likely crowd he sets down his basket on the stool and starts to trade. The basket will contain the half-prepared ingredients of what is known in northern India as chaat - savoury snacks from traditional Hindu cuisine - which may be served in a banana leaf bowl.One item might be Aloo Chaat which is fried, golden-brown potato cubes tossed with chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and chaat masala**.
Another, Dhai Baras which are split-pea patties. They will be already fried and softened in warm water. To complete the dish the Khomcha-Wallah may add beaten, creamy plain yoghurt with salt on top, and a choice of spice mixes. One mixture will be aromatic and probably contain roasted cumin, black pepper and dried mango powder, another will be hot a fiery with chillies, another sweet and sour like tamarind chutney.
Some Indian cities have become renowned for a certain sort of chaat - Jaipur for Paapri Chaat (similar to Dhai Baras but served with cubed potatoes chick peas) and Mumbai for Pau Bahji (spicy potato and vegetable curry served in a bun) but it is Delhi which is the chaat capital of India.
Some other chaats are:
Aloo Samosa - little pastry
triangles filled with a spicy
mixture of small diced potatoes and peas with chillies, chilli
powder, fresh coriander, cumin and garam masala.
Keema Samosa - similar to above but including minced beef or
lamb.
Aloo Tikki - mashed potato mixed with peas, cumin powder, corn
flour, chilli powder and salt, formed into patties and fried
until crisp and golden.
Tandoori Chicken Chaat - Tandoori chicken, shredded and mixed
with diced green mango, onions, green chillies, coriander leaves
and chaat masala**, dressed with lemon juice, oil and chilli
powder.
**Chaat Masala is a spice mix made by combining the following
ingredients.
4 tsp powdered dried mango
3 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
3 tsp salt
tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
tsp ground ginger
tsp fennel seeds, roasted and ground (optional)
tsp cayenne pepper
For all your Indian cooking needs why not visit my Asian Food
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About the author:
Liz Canham is the webmistress of Asian Food and
Cookery and Travellers'
Tales.
Written By: Liz Canham
