Dahi Aloo Chat

Quick and tempting snack of boiled potato,yogurt and Indian spices

Potato is the worlds most popular vegetable.We don't have to think much about using potatoes as there are endless numbers of recipes to make with potatoes.In fact most of the Indian street food are made with potatoes. side dish ,snack,curries and even dessert can be made with potato,my favorite sweet is -Potato halwa.

Potato bread rolls,  minty potato, Potato cup chat are many snack I have already posted,but they need some pre planning, stir frying or deep frying.As we all know that if potato is fried then only it become loaded with calories,boiled potato is not that high in calorie so can be used easily and guilt free.

This dahi aloo chat is a popular street food/chat of North India specially from my home town.
boiled potatoes are soaked in yogurt and then roasted cumin powder, chili powder is sprinkled over it. A spoon full of green chutney and tamarind chutney is drizzled over to make it delicious and tempting.\
This is also a ideal recipe for fasting days as it didn't require frying or roasting and use the  delicious -Aam papad chutney and green chutney to drizzle over it if you are fasting

Prep time- 10 min

Difficulty level-easy

Spice level-mild

Cuisine-North Indian

Type-Snack,street food

Serve-3

Dahi Aloo Chat

Ingredients

• 3 (small size) - Potato, boiled
• 1 cup of - Yogurt /dahi
• To taste- Salt /namak
• 1/2 tsp - Chili powder /lal mirch
• 1/2 tsp - Roasted cumin powder/bhuna jeera
• 1/4 tsp- Black salt /kala namak
• 2 tbsp - Tamarind chutney /imli ki chutney (recipe here)
• 2 tbsp - Green mint chutney /hari chutney(recipe here )
• A pinch of - Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes.
2. Take yogurt in a bowl and whisk it well
3. Add sugar,salt and black salt in the yogurt and mix well.
4. Add chopped potatoes in the yogurt.
5. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
6. Now serve in individual serving bowls.
7. Sprinkle chili powder and roasted cumin powder over it.
8. Drizzle some tamarind chutney, mint chutney and pomegranate seeds.
9. Best served chilled.

NOTE-

1. If you are fasting then use pepper powder instead of chili powder.
2. Use mango leather chutney /aam paapd chutney if you are fasting.
3. Instead of boiled potatoes you can also use deep fried potato cubes.

Diwali Special: How to make Raj Kachori / Indian style crispy tacos

Crispy shells dressed with various toppings and chutneys

Raj kachori, as the name suggests, is a royal treat! It is stuffed with a variety of traditional Indian toppings, savory munchies, and a combination of hot and sweet chutneys.

Besides the great taste and variety of textures in the dish, a great part of this dish is that it is assembled live, right in front of the guests. If you have done your preparations right, then it is a very quick and easy dish to assemble and serve. The outer shells of raj kachori, and most of the other ingredients can be prepared ahead of time. The shells in particular, remain fresh for a fortnight so it is good to make them a few days before the festivities.

A mixture of boondis, papadis, boiled potatoes, boiled chickpeas, dahi vadas, sprouts can be stuffed inside the kachori. There is no fix list of components in the stuffings, and you can create your own version from whatever is easily available at hand, or can be prepared easily. You can just add potatoes, sprouts or boondis and some chopped tomatoes to make it a quick, light, and healthy appetizer.

Prep time - 10 min
Cooking time - 20 min
Difficulty level - Medium
Spice level - Medium hot
Cuisine - North Indian
Type - Snack, Street food

INGREDIENTS-

To make Raj Kachori-

• Semolina / Sooji -1 cup
• Refined flour / Maida - 1 tbsp
• Gram flour / Besan - 1/4 cup
• Cooking oil - 2tsp
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Fruit salt / Eno - a pinch of (optional)
• Salt - to taste

To assemble-

• Chickpeas / Kabuli chana, boiled- 1 cup
• Potatoes, boiled- 2 small
• Dahi vada (only the vadas) - 6 piece
• Boondi - 3 tbsp
• Papdi, crushed  -8
• Namkeen (Bhujiya / Nylon sev) - 3 tbsp
• Pomegranate seeds - 2 tbsp
• Yogurt / Dahi - 1cup
• Mint or Coriander Chutney - 1/2 cup
• Tamarind Chutney (Saunth) - 1/3 cup
• Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Chili powder - 1.5 tsp
• Black salt - 1 tsp

PROCEDURE-

1. In a bowl add all the ingredients listed to make Raj Kachori.
2. Mix everything well.
3. Add just enough water to make medium soft dough.
4. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes.
5. Knead it again and make small balls from the dough.
6. Roll to make medium thick pooris/discs
7. Slide the prepared poori in hot oil.
8. Press with a spatula to help it puff completely.
9. Reduce the heat to medium low and deep fry in from both sides till golden in colour
10. When done drain on a paper napkin.
11. Let them cool down completely.
12. Beat yogurt and add some salt and 1/2 tsp sugar.
13. When you want to serve then poke it on top and make a hole  in it.
14. Add chopped potato,chick peas,dahi vada.
15. Add some curd and green chutney.
16. Add some crushed papadi and boondi and fill it till the top.
17. Again drizzle yogurt,green chutney and tamarind chutney.
18. Add some bhujiya sev and sprinkle chili powder,cumin powder and black salt.
19. Garnish with anar dana/pomegranate seeds.
20. Serve immediately

Ghughni / Matar Chaat / Dried Peas Potage

An easy to make and popular spicy snack made of dried peas

Ghughni is a chaat/street food from Eastern India, and is a very popular Bengali snack and is also quite popular in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

During my childhood days street food hawkers carrying hot and spicy ghughni in a big brass pateela were a common sight outside schools, on the road sides, near cinemas halls or just by the roadside.

Ghughni is made with dried yellow peas/dried green peas. Peas are soaked, boiled, tempered , cooked with tomatoes and spices and then garnished with radish, tomatoes and green chilies. A spoonful of hot green chutney and little bit of tamarind chutney is added  to make it more tangy and spicy.

It can be served as a chaat, snack or can be enjoyed with hot kulchas, parathas or pooris. Ghughni is also used as a stuffing for pani puri, instead of the usual boiled potato and chickpeas, in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The consistency of ghughni depends on your personal choice - some prefer it very thick, some make it with a little bit of gravy the way I made it, but it tastes great either way!

Prep time - 15 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Difficulty level - easy
Spice level - medium hot
Cuisine - Indian
Type - Side dish/Chaat
Serve-5

INGREDIENTS-

• Dried Yellow peas /matra - 1 cup
• Tomatoes/tamatar, chopped - 1 (125 gms)
• Boiled potato/aloo -  1(optional)
• Green chilies/ hari mirch, chopped -1 tsp
• Ginger/adrak, grated -1 tsp
• Turmeric powder/haldi  - 3/4 tsp
• Chili powder/lal mirch - 1tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind pulp/imli  - 4 tsp
• Salt/namak  - to taste
• Black salt /kala namak- 1/4 tsp
• Sugar/chini - 1/2 tsp

Tempering-

• Cooking oil/tel - 2.5 tbsp
• Cumin seeds/jeera -1 tsp
• Bay leaves/tej patta - 2
• Cinnamon/daalchini - 1/3 inch

To Garnish

• Radish/Mooli, grated - 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes/tamatar, chopped - 3/4 cup
• Green chilies/hari mirch, chopped - 2 tsp
• Fresh coriander/dhaniya chopped - 2 tbsp
• Lemon juice/nimbu ras - 2 tsp
• Mint chutney /pudina chutney- 4 tsp
• Tamarind chutney/imli chutney - 3 tsp
• Roasted cumin powder /bhuna jeera- 1tsp
• Chili powder/lal mirch - 1tsp

PROCEDURE-

1. Wash the peas and soak them in enough water for 6-8 hours .
2. Then take the soaked peas along with 2 cups of water and pressure cook till they become soft but not mushy (approx for 3-4 whistles,but depends on the quality of peas).
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cubed potatoes and shallow fry till they become crisp and red. Drain and keep aside.
4. In the same pan add cumin seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon.
5. When the cumin turns golden, add the chopped tomatoes, green chilies and ginger.
6. Saute till the tomatoes become soft, then add the chili powder, turmeric, salt and black salt and saute for a minute.
7. Now add the boiled peas along with the water and tamarind pulp (can add some more water if needed).
8. Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes till done.
9. Now add the garam masala and mix well .

How to serve-

1. Take around 3/4 to 1 cup of ghughni in a serving bowl.
2. Add some green chutney and tamarind chutney and mix.
3. Add boiled and fried potatoes (I have not added them).
4. Now garnish with chopped tomatoes, green chilies, radish and fresh coriander.
5. Sprinkle lemon juice, roasted cumin powder, black salt and chili powder. 
6. Serve immediately.

Quick version-

1. Boil soaked peas with salt and turmeric till done. Let it cool down a bit.
2. Take the boiled peas in a bowl and add all the garnishing ingredients(listed in to garnish) and serve.