Mouthwatering, right? My aloo chaat recipe is super easy and you can make it for evening snacks with chai, for Holi or Diwali parties, or whenever you need a quick chaat fix!
All indian chaat dishes are a burst of flavor and texture and this aloo ki chaat is no different. Every region of india has its own special chaat and in Delhi, aloo ki chaat, samosa chaat, stuffed aloo tikki chaat and matar kulcha chaat are among favorites!
Growing up this aloo chaat used to be our loved evening snack. The chaat vendors fry potatoes on a large tawa and chaat vendor selling it can be spotted from miles away thanks to the aroma of ghee in the air. It is also called tawa aloo chaat, masala aloo chaat or dilli aloo chaat.
Whenever I miss home, I make a home version using whatever kind of potatoes I have at hand. Sometimes I make the traditional way - using regular potatoes, but as you can tell from different pictures, I have made it with sweet potatoes, yellow potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes, you name it 🙂 If the potatoes are fried in the right way and the seasoning is perfect, really you can use any kind of potatoes in this delhi style aloo chaat.
Aloo Chaat Ingredients
Potatoes- If you want to go traditional route, I recommend russet potatoes. They are starchy and crisp up well. But, you can mix a few kinds of potatoes/use any kind of potato you have at home. Powdered Spices:- We need hot & tangy chaat spices such as chaat masala powder, black salt (kala namak), red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder. Anardana (Dried Pomegranate)- In north indian chaat recipes, it is common to use anardana. Anardana is dried pomegranate arils. You can easily buy it at indian stores- both powdered and whole arils are sold. I buy whole and coarsely powder them in spice grinder. If you dont have at home, simply skip and add little more lemon juice. Fresh Squeezed Lemon or Lime juice Green Chillies - I use indian green chilies for a fiery kick. Ginger - Fresh ginger, finely chopped Chutney-Sweet Tamarind chutney for tangy sweetness. You can use green chutney too. Fresh Chopped Cilantro or Mint leaves Optional Items :- Sev, Pomegranate seeds, Grated Mooli(Daikon), Onions etc.
Few Things about My Aloo Chaat Recipe
The flavors of this chaat are bold- just how they sell on streets. Go a little heavy handed on spices. Delhi Aloo chaat is a burst of spices in the mouth. It’s not that sweet but quite hot & tangy. However, you can always tone down the spice quantities for a milder taste. This recipe is easily customizable. Traditional aloo chaat is served topped with pickled ginger. You can make ginger pickle too by soaking julienne ginger in lemon juice and salt. However, my family is not a fan of biting into ginger juliennes. So, I add very finely chopped ginger to still bring in that flavor. Use the exact measures of potatoes and ghee that I noted in the recipe card. You will have little to no leftover ghee 🙂
Chopping The Potatoes
Keep the potato skin on if you wish. Cut the potatoes in big chunks. You can cut them roundish but on streets they cut in chunks. The ideal texture of potatoes is crispy golden brown edges with soft and creamy center. Big chunks of potato make sure that the potato remains creamy on the inside(very important). To give you an idea, for a large palm sized russet potato, I cut it in 4 to 5 chunks. If you will chop the potatoes too small, though they will crisp up, won’t remain creamy inside.
Shallow Frying The Potatoes
I begin by adding the potato chunks to a pot of salted water. Bring water to a rolling boil on high heat. Takes about 5-6 minutes. Once water is boiling, switch off and drain immediately. You dont have to cook the potatoes. We flash boil the potatoes to get them warmed up and ready for shallow frying. Immediately dry the potatoes using a kitchen towel and start shallow frying.
Shallow fry the potatoes in ghee on a wide and heavy griddle for best flavor & texture. I use cast iron skillet. You can use any skillet size depending on quantity of potatoes. You can also use tawa that we use for making rotis and parathas. Shallow fry the potatoes on all sides with golden crispy edges for the best taste. Avoid turning them again and again, let them get crispy golden brown on one side and then turn to fry on all sides. This step takes patience and may take you about 20-25 minutes depending on batch size.
Spices and Chutneys
The best time to add the spices is immediately after the potatoes come out of the ghee. Dont drain the potatoes after shallow frying. Ghee helps so that the spices stick to the potatoes and of course makes them super flavorful.
Avoid using store bought lemon juice, fresh squeezed lemon juice gives the best tangy flavor. As for the chutneys, you can add any kind but on the streets, they add tamarind chutney and ask if you want green chutney.I add the tamarind chutney and instead of green chutney, I add fresh cilantro and chopped green chili. I feel that green chutney makes the chaat look dark brownish and steals its golden look. Biting into leafy herbs gives the chaat another layer of taste.
My Tips
If you don’t want to fry potatoes in only ghee, use a neutral oil like grapeseed or avocado and add a tablespoon or two of ghee for flavor & aroma. Dont skip ghee unless you have intolerances. Ghee brings in flavor. Shallow fry the potatoes on low medium heat. Take your time to crisp up the potatoes, the texture of potatoes make a huge difference in the chaat taste. You can easily make this chaat vrat/indian fasting friendly by omitting spices that you won’t consume. Use sendha namak(fasting salt) in place of regular salt. Quick Tamarind Chutney Substitute if you have dates(khajoor) syrup at home - Mix equal parts date syrup and lemon juice & add spices. Tastes very similar to imli chutney.
Some Variations
Drizzle some whipped yogurt on top. You can add some boiled chickpeas or dried matar (peas) as well. Add grated mooli (daikon), chopped cucumbers or fresh pomegranate arils. You can add crushed papdi or nylon sev (see image below) on top for added layer of texture.
