Street Smart: Aloo Tikki Chaat

I love standing by stalls - heat/rain - no barrier, just digging into whatever particular food that I was in the mood for that day. Panipuris, Chaat, Kachori Chaat, Pav Bhaji, Dahibara aludum, Vada pav, Dosa, Chuski, Momos, Chicken chops - there is nothing that you cannot find in the streets of India. You move from north to west to east and then down south - you will find variations of various food in its most deliciousness when you turn every corner. And you have your favorites in all those places. I mean you have to have jaleba from the corner of Chandni chowk[Delhi] when it is freshly fried and then dunked on to sugar syrup before being handed out to you. Or have Dahibara Aludum from Naya Sarak[Cuttack] and follow it up with ice golas to soothe your burning throat. And I could write entire posts on the multifarious street food from all corners of India.

 

 But, this is just the beginning. The paeans and odes to joy will follow in the wake of more blog posts. Bear with me when I do that. You know that I am justified. So coming back to this post - I am probably beginning with one of the easiest to make at home snacks or quick dish to served at a street food themed party. And it is delicious. And easy to make. Need I say more. The recipe for the matar curry is my beginning post for this blog. It is simple but remember - for this recipe you need to add one more whistle. This will give make your curry a more stewy version and perfect canvas to build your chat for the crowd. Check out the recipe at here.

 

Make your tikkis:
4 medium potatoes boiled
2tsp red chili powder
2tsp garam masala
2tsp cumin powder
salt
a handful of chopped coriander leaves
Oil for frying
Mash the potatoes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything together. Make small balls and then flatten it with your palms.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry tikkis till golden brown on both sides.

Assembling your Chaat:
Matar curry
Tikkis
3 medium onions sliced
2 lemon wedges
Coriander leaves chopped
Sev depending on how much you want[Haldiram's Aloo Bhujia is a good choice but check out your local shops for cool combinations]
Imli ki chutney
Put the curry at the bottom of the bowl. Add a tablespoon of chutney
Arrange the tikkis - maybe three to four per serving.
Put some onions on top.
Sprinkle lemon juice. Then sprinkle coriander leaves and sev.
Serve with bowls of lemon wedges, coriander leaves and sev for the guests to pile on when they want.