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| Type | Snack |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | Uttar Pradesh,Delhi,Gujarat,Rajasthan,Odisha,West Bengal,Bihar andMadhya Pradesh |
Chaat, orchāt (IAST:cāṭ) (lit. 'lick, tasting, delicacy') is a family of fried doughsnacks that originated inIndia, typically served as anhors d'oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls orfood carts acrossSouth Asia.[1][2] With its origins inUttar Pradesh,[3] chaat has become popular in the rest of South Asia.
The word derives from Hindicāṭ चाट (tasting, a delicacy), fromcāṭnā चाटना (to lick, as in licking one's fingers while eating), fromPrakritcaṭṭei चट्टेइ (to devour with relish, eat noisily).[4]
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All chaat variants are based on fried dough. The original chaat is a mixture of potato pieces, crisp fried bread,dahi vada or dahi bhalla, gram orchickpeas and tangy-salty spices, with sour Indian chili andsaunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh green coriander leaves and yogurt for garnish. Other common variants includealu tikkis orsamosa (garnished with onion, potatoes, coriander, peas, hot spices and a dash of yogurt),bhel puri,dahi puri,panipuri,dahi vada,papri chaat, andsev puri.
There are common elements among these variants includingdahi (yogurt); choppedonions andcoriander;sev (thin dried yellow salty noodles); andchaat masala, typically consisting ofamchoor (driedmango powder),cumin,kala namak (Himalayan black rock salt),coriander, driedginger,salt,black pepper, andred pepper. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate or abanana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl.
Some of the dishes now categorized as chaats, such asdahi vada, can be traced back to ancient periods. A recipe for a dahi vada analogue calledkshiravata is mentioned inManasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled bySomeshvara III, who ruled from present-dayKarnataka.[5][6] According to food historianK.T Achaya, descriptions of dahi vada also appear in literature far earlier from 500 BC.[7]
Another dish resembling chaat as an organizedphenomenon or distinct group of dishes, according to culinaryanthropologistKurush Dalal, originated in northern India (nowUttar Pradesh) in the late 17th century during the reign of Mughal emperorShah Jahan. The royal doctors had asked the people of Delhi to consume spicy and fried snacks, as well asdahi, as a countermeasure to the alkaline water of theYamuna river that coursed through the city.[8]
Most chaats originated in parts ofUttar Pradesh in India later in the 20th century,[9] but they are now eaten all acrossSouth Asia and neighboring countries. Some are results of culturalsyncretism.
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