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Cocktails and
Cuisine
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By Priya Sastry
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Indian Street
Food Makeover: The Home Version
I recently visited Bangalore, a large cosmopolitan
city in southern India. It had been six years since my last trip,
and I was surprised to see how much had changed. Software companies
have offices everywhere you look. The traffic is crazy! The economic
boom in India has given more people the purchasing power to buy cars.
But it was also nice to see that some things hadn't changed. Open-air
vegetable markets, women with jasmine flowers in their hair, and street-side
chaat stalls still exist, just as I remember!!
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Photo by Shilpa Swamy |
Chaat literally
means “to taste or lick” in Hindi. In most cities in India
you can find street-side chaat stalls serving small plates
of savory snacks like pav bhaji (spicy potato curry served
with hot buttery buns) and pani puri (small, fried, round
pillows of dough stuffed with boiled potatoes, lentils and a tart,
spicy, flavored water). Since the sanitation of these stalls can be
questionable, I resisted the temptation to try these tasty delicacies.
Fortunately these dishes are so popular that they are served in most
restaurants where you can try them safely. Strangely, I tasted one
of my favorite chaats at a sari shop! While we were
looking at saris at a shop that my family has visited for
many years, the salesman who was assisting us asked one of his coworkers
to bring us “special” sev puri. Within minutes,
we were being served plates of this amazing snack. The spicy, sweet
and tangy flavors exploded in my mouth! I understood why the sev
puri was called “special”—we ended up buying
my wedding sari from that shop! Not only do I have wonderful
memories of the beautiful saris in that shop, but I'll also always
remember their special sev puri.
After returning to Chicago, I tried to recreate the
chaats that I love so much. I was content with skipping dinner
and filling myself up with my attempts at these savory snacks instead.
And the best part of these recipes? You never have to turn on the
stove! Wow your friends by serving chaat with chutney sandwiches
at your next party!
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Sev Puri
Makes 15 puris
Sev puri is generally served as a late afternoon
snack. Steaming hot masala tea or refreshingly cold sweet
lime juice can be served alongside. The chutneys used in this dish
add sweet, tart and spicy flavors that are irresistible!
Ingredients
15 small, flat puris, available at South Asian markets
1 small potato, boiled and finely chopped
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup red onion, very finely chopped
1 small tomato, very finely chopped
1/3 cup mung bean sprouts (optional)
2 tablespoons cilantro, very finely chopped
½ teaspoon chaat masala, (a spice blend of dried mango
powder, cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, asafoetida and
red pepper)
1/3 cup yogurt
¼ cup tamarind-date chutney
1 tablespoon garlic chutney
2 tablespoons cilantro chutney
1/3 cup sev, a thin string-like fried snack made of gram
flour
Instructions
1. Arrange puris on a plate.
2. Top puris evenly with chopped potato,
carrot, red onion, tomato, sprouted mung beans and cilantro.
3. Add a pinch of chaat masala to each puri.
4. Add a small dollop of yogurt to each puri.
5. Spoon chutneys over puris.
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Photo by Priya Sastry
Tips:
- You can get chaat masala, chutney
and sev at your local South Asian supermarket.
- Mung bean sprouts add a nutritious crunch
to this dish and can be found in the produce section at some
grocery stores.
- While you can buy chutneys at South Asian
grocery stores, I prepare this dish using the following chutney
recipes:
Tamarind-date
chutney
Garlic
chutney
Cilantro
chutney |
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6. Sprinkle sev generously over puris.
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Suggestion:
This recipe can be improvised in several ways by added various
toppings such as finely diced raw mango, shredded coconut or pomegranate seeds.
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Chutney Sandwiches
Makes 8 small sandwiches
These sandwiches are filled with vegetables and
spicy cilantro chutney. They should be served immediately as they
tend to get soggy.
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Ingredients
1 small potato, boiled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 small tomato, thinly sliced into rounds
¼ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon red onion, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, very finely chopped
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons cilantro chutney
Instructions
1. Spread butter or margarine in a thin layer on one side of each
slice of bread.
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Photo by Priya Sastry |
2. Spread chutney on top of
butter or margarine.
3. Place two potato slices, two tomato slices and
two cucumber slices on two slices of bread.
4. Sprinkle red onion and cilantro on the top of
the other vegetables.
5. Top with the other two slices of bread and press
lightly.
6. Cut each sandwich crosswise into 4 small triangles.
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Tips:
- These sandwiches can be grilled or toasted.
- For a healthier version, use any whole grain
bread instead of white bread.
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Priya Sastry calls Chicago her home. Inspired by her grandmother,
she feels that cooking is a great way to connect to her rich Indian
heritage. When not out experiencing the great flavors the Windy City
has to offer, she enjoys concocting her own recipes in the kitchen.
Fortunately, her fiancé doesn't mind being her taste-tester!
Priya can be contacted at priyasastry@yahoo.com.
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