CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
Chaats! one of the most inviting and delectable culinary term from Indian cuisine which not only awakens our taste buds but also creates an appetite and we can all imagine the very first look and sight of a chaat counter –mesmerizing and moments to cherish!
We all have some memories with Chaats over the years be it enjoying them at a particular place StreetSide concept in India, various parts of the country do it differently as well for instance the Delhi chaat is much different as we compare it to the one in Mumbai and Indore.
Chaats are not only colorful but also offer a good choice and options to us, I remember having Chaats since an early age and the queue at times I had to wait for till I got my disposable Dona patta bowl to enjoy the pani puri or gol guppas what a burst of mouthfeel of flavours at times the puri would be huge as well difficult to manage but somehow the mouth would accommodate it and those moments cannot be expressed in words, not to forget the extra pani and sukha masala puri at the end of the chaat experience which seemed a part our deserving rights for many people.
Innovating with Chaats is fun too, my experiments list down a whole range of chaat menus which fuse flavors from Indonesia with a chana aloo anar chaat with a peanut butter chutney with imli and saunth, to a indo- mexican Papdi chaat using nacho chips, boiled moong, guava chutney salsa with olives and tomatoes, the Sri Lankan chaat with palak mathhri topped with coconut sambal chutney and minted sweet chili sauce and tender coconut, sev bhujiya is just mind blowing! My list of creative Chaats can go on and on, but for now do check out some of these recipes and do try them in your kitchens & relish the Chaska of your favorite Chaats!
Anarkali Arbi Aalishan Chaat
Ingredients
Arbi- Colocassia- 400gms, peeled, sliced and fried.
For the chaat elements
Imli chutney- ¼ cup
Rock salt-1/4 tsp
Chaat masala- ¼ tsp
Roasted jeera powder-1/4 tsp
Red chili powder-1/4 tsp
Fresh anar- ½ cup
Lime juice- 1 tbsp.
Tomato sauce-1 tbsp.
Fresh mint and coriander leaves-2 tbsp.
Green mint coriander chutney- 1 tbsp.
Sev/ bhujiya- 2 -3 tbsp.
Method
- Prepare the arbi and keep aside.
- In a mixing bowl combine together the ingredients mix well. Add in the fried arbi and toss well.
- Add additional chaat ingredients like chopped green chilies, chopped onions, tomatoes etc as well if desired.
- Serve the chaat topped with mint, coriander, green chutney and a splash of lime juice and fresh anar.
Sweet Potato Wali Chaat
Ingredients
Sweet potatoes- 400gms, peeled, cut into cubes keep in salted water.
To Toss Potatoes in The Pan
Oil/ olive oil- 2 tbsp.
Jeera-1/2 tsp
Onions- 1 tbsp. chop
Ginger- 1 tsp chop
Tomatoes- ¼ cup chop
Green chilies-1 tsp chop
Chaat masala-1/4 tsp
Water-1/4 cup
Cook the sweet potatoes in the above mixture for 8-10 mins on a low flame.
Remove and keep aside to cool.
To Toss the Chaat
Imli chutney- 2 tbsp.
Chili sauce- 1 tsp
Tomato sauce- 1 tbsp.
Sev- ¼ cup
Curd- ¼ cup beaten
Green coriander mint chutney/ schezuan chutney- 2tbsp.
Lime juice- 1 tbsp.
Fresh anardana- ¼ cup
Method
- Prepare the sweet potato as above cook and keep aside.
- Now toss the sweet potato with the chutneys/sauces and toss well.
- Arrange on a serving bowl /dish garnish and serve.
Makkai Aur Moong Phalli Wala Fusion Chaat
Ingredients
Boiled corn- 1 cup
Boiled groundnuts- ½ cup
Moong sprouts- ¼ cup, blanched
Cucumber- 1 no cubes
Green chilies- 1 tsp chop
Boiled egg- 2 no. using the whites cut into cubes or full egg diced/for other non-veg options use sliced saute chicken sausages/sliced chicken tikka/ grilled fish/prawns. For veg try grilled tofu/paneer/mushrooms etc.
For the Chaat Dressing
Peanut butter-2 tbsp. mixed with ½ cup warm water
Oil- 1 tbsp.
Garlic- 1 tsp chop
Ginger-1 tsp chop
Tomato ketchup- 1 tbsp.
Chili sauce- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
White vinegar-1 tsp
Chili powder/chili flakes-1/2tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp.
Lime juice-1 tbsp.
Chaat masala- ½ tsp
Imli chutney-2 tsp
Method
- Prepare the ingredients for the chaat as per the list as above.
- In a saucepan, cook up the chaat dressing together on a low flame for 3-4 mins and stir all well, remove keep aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine together the ingredients and add in the sauce and toss it all well.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and arrange on a serving plate & present it with a topping of sev/fried noodles etc and drizzle of schezuan sauce/green chutney.
Celebrity Master Chef Dr. Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai based hotel-restaurant and food consultant.He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awardsand global recognition for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on Colors television and Star Plus he is a mentor,coach and guide toaspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow.
