The History
Khatti Meethi Aloo Chaat is "finger licking" good to say the least! "Chaat" is a very apt name for this concoction as it literally means licking ones fingers. Chaat is a mixture of assorted ingredients. There is always a complex carb base, some fruit and vegetables, chutneys and often a crunchy topping for a finish. Often sweet, sour and spicy there's a burst of flavor in every spoonful!
The original Chaat recipe was first created in the late 17th century by the chefs in the court of emperor Shah Jahan. Per an article in thebetterindia.com it was typical of the chief cook to get input from the Court Physician when creating delicacies for the King.
The Chaat recipe apparently evolved to counter the effects of the alkaline water of the Yamuna River. A diet of spicy fried snacks and yogurt was recommended by the chief physician at that time and the original Chat recipe was created.
Today there are about 500 varieties of this concoction per desidakaar.com.
My Story
Chaat is one of the most popular street foods in Pakistan. There is no greater pleasure than going out for a bowl of Chaat with friends. One of my favorite Chaat eating memories is from my high school years. My friend Aasiya and I used to go to a tutor after school and a stop at Flamingo Juice and Chat for their Mixed Chaat was a must. Then there was "Silver Spoon" and it's dahi puri chaat. To my delight it is currently featured on Tripadvisor!
Since street food in Pakistan often goes hand in hand with stomach problems some newer more upscale places have risen in popularity. This is mainly due to their improved level of hygiene.
One which I remember fondly, called Chatkharay, recently succumbed to Covid and had to shut its doors. I'm sure another place will open up soon and take it's place but for me it's the loss of a favorite place to visit on my trips to Pakistan.
Since trips to Pakistan are infrequent, my kitchen has to serve as my Flamingo, Silver Spoon and Chatkharay. This weeks desire to visit one of my favorite haunts resulted in the Khatti Meethi Aloo Chaat recipe!
My Recipe
Luckily for me I can make my own Chaat at home. I love the classic recipes; dahi baras, channa chaat, bhel puri, pain puri and hope to eventually feature them all on my website. From time to time I like to come up with my own variation of the classic recipes as with my corn masala chaat. As long as it has a carb/protein base, is spicy, sour and finger licking good it can be called a chaat.
The recipe for my Khatti Meethi Aloo Chaat is all that and more! Even if I say so myself! The best part is that you can prep the assorted components ahead of time and assemble just before serving! The Vibrant colors in this dish entice you and the explosion of flavor leaves you wanting more!
The Plating
The carb base comprised of potatoes that are chopped and mixed with spices. The potatoes are then layered with purple pickled onions.
Next, yogurt is whipped into a sauce flavored with sugar and chaat masala and drizzled on top.
Finally, crunchy masala peas are added for some texture and the final touch is a drizzle of my sugar free imli tamarind chutney and my green coconut chutney.
Pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top bring the recipe to a perfect finish!
Khatti Meethi Aloo Chaat
Ingredients
- 4 whole baby red potatoes
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ cup pickled red onion
- 1 cup yogurt sauce
- 1 cup crunchy masala peas
- ¼ cup tamarind chutney
- ¼ cup green coconut chutney
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain full fat yogurt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp chaat masala
Pickled Red Onion
- ½ red onion
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- boil potatoes, peel and dice
- mix diced potatoes with salt and red chilli powder
- layer potatoes in a flat casserole dish
- place drained pickled onions on top
- place dollops of the yogurt sauce on top
- add the crunchy peas in a neat layer
- place teaspoon fulls of the tamarind and green chutneys evenly in a layer
- sprinkle with pomegranate seeds
Nutrition
NOTES
- Boil, peel and chop the potatoes a day ahead of time for convenience. The potatoes must be at room temperature or colder for this recipe.
- To pickle the onions its best to slice and marinate them in the vinegar and sugar mixture overnight. If for some reason this is not possible then you must try and marinate them for at least 4 hours.
- Any brand of spicy baked crunchy chickpeas will work as a topping.
- For the chutneys, follow the links next to the pictures above for recipes. If you are in a hurry your closest Pakistani or Indian store is likely to have pre made bottled chutneys for you to use.
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