Samosa Chaat is a fantastic Indian street food snack that you can easily make at home. It features crunchy samosas paired with a flavorful chickpea curry, known as chole. To top it off, a zesty tamarind sauce, fresh vegetables, herbs, and crispy sev add a delightful mix of textures and tastes.
What You’ll Find On This Page
This recipe is perfect for a snack, an appetizer, or even a light meal. It's packed with bold flavors and is ideal for anyone who enjoys Indian street food. Let's dive into how you can create this tasty Samosa Chaat in your own kitchen!
Ingredients and Substitutions Overview
To make your own Samosa Chaat, you'll need a variety of simple Indian spices, a few key sauces, and some fresh ingredients. Here’s what you’ll gather to bring this delicious snack together, including the tasty toppings that make it so special.
- Samosas: Choose your favorite type—frozen, store-bought, or perhaps your very own homemade Samosas.
- Curd (Whole Milk Yogurt): This creamy addition helps soothe the spice from the chole, adding a lovely balance.
- Tamarind Sauce: You can either make this tangy sauce at home or easily find it at any Indian grocery store.
- Green Chutney: This sauce adds a zesty, fresh taste to the chaat.
- Fresh Onions and Tomatoes: These essentials provide a delightful crunch and freshness.
- Cilantro/Coriander Leaves: A light sprinkle of cilantro significantly boosts the flavor.
- Chaat Masala: This is the key to achieving that genuine street-style zing. If chaat masala is hard to find, dry mango powder (amchur) makes a good alternative. (Note: It’s not in the photo, but look for it in the spice aisle of Indian stores.)
How to Make Samosa Chaat at Home?
Let's make your delicious Samosa Chaat with our recipe. I'll walk you through each step, from preparing the Chole to assembling the Chaat and finishing with the perfect toppings. Complete with photos and a video guide, you have all you need to make this popular Indian street food at home. Let's begin!
Discover More Street Food Recipes:
Samosa Chaat
Ingredients
For Chole
- 1 cup Chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 2 cups Water
- ¼ cup Oil
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick, small
- 3 Cloves
- 4 Cardamom
- 2 Green Chili, slit
- 1 Onion, chopped (medium size)
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste , or grated ginger garlic
- 1 tsp Paprika , or Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Chole Masala
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1½ cup Diced Tomatoes
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tsp Kasoori Methi
- 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves
For Samosa Chaat
- 2 Samosa, per serving
- 2 tsp Tamarind Sauce
- 1 tsp Green Chutney
- 2 tsp Curd, Plain Yogurt
- ½ tsp Onion, diced
- ½ tsp Tomato, diced
- 2 tsp Coriander Leaves, chopped
- Sev, to sprinkle
- Chaat Masala, or dry mango powder, to sprinkle
Instructions
Preparing Chole
- In your pressure cooker, add the chickpeas you soaked overnight, water, sprinkle a teaspoon of salt, and close the lid. After 5 whistles, turn off the heat. Let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid for safety.
- Set aside the cooked chickpeas, but remember to save the water they were cooked in for later use.
- Heat some oil in a pan and toss in bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, and green chilies. Wait until the aroma fills your kitchen, then add the onions and cook until they’re soft and golden.
- Now, stir in the ginger-garlic paste and your spices - paprika, garam masala, chole masala, and turmeric. Mix everything well.
- Add the diced tomatoes, stirring until mushy. Then mix in the cooked chickpeas with their water. Season with salt, keeping in mind a teaspoon was already added during cooking. Let it cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and let the chole simmer until it gets a lovely reddish-brown hue. For a thicker consistency, you can mash a few chickpeas right in the pan.
- Sprinkle in some kasoori methi and fresh coriander leaves, give it a good stir, and take it off the heat. Your chole is now ready to assemble samosa chaat.
Preparing Samosa Chaat
- In a bowl, generously spoon 2 to 3 ladles of the prepared chole gravy. Add 2 medium-sized samosas, breaking them into bite-size pieces for a satisfying crunch.
- Drizzle your favorite samosa sauces over the dish - tangy tamarind sauce, zesty green chutney, and creamy thick curd - to elevate the flavors and textures.
- Then, enhance it with a vibrant array of toppings: add onion for a sharp bite, tomato for a burst of freshness, coriander leaves for an herbal touch, sev for crunch and texture, and a sprinkle of chaat masala for that irresistible street food flavor.
Serving
- Enjoy this irresistible Samosa Chaat as a meal, appetizer, or an evening snack, perfectly paired with a cup of Masala Chai.
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Recipe Video
Chef's Notes and Tips
Preparation Tips:
- Samosa Choice: For convenience, I've used store-bought samosas in this recipe. However, if you're up for making everything from scratch, check out our detailed recipe for homemade samosas.
- Freshness Matters: Use the freshest ingredients for the toppings like cilantro, onions, and tomatoes. Fresh ingredients will add a burst of flavor and crunch that really makes the chaat come alive.
- Samosa Sauces: Tamarind sauce, green chutney, and yogurt are great choices, but feel free to experiment with your favorite sauces.
- Customize Your Spice Levels: Chaat is all about personal taste. Adjust the amount of chaat masala or add green chilies to increase the heat if you like your chaat spicy.
- Garnishes: Be generous but mindful. Adding a generous sprinkle of sev, a few dollops of yogurt, and a dash of red chili powder or paprika can enhance both the flavor and visual appeal of your Samosa Chaat.
- Presentation: Serve in a shallow bowl or a wide plate to display the layers and colors of the chaat, making it as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate.
Cooking Tips:
- Canned Chickpeas: If you're using canned chickpeas, use 2.5 to 3 cups for this recipe. The liquid from the can helps, but add more chickpeas and water if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Note: The water and chickpea quantity is for the base recipe. If you alter the serving size, make sure to adjust the quantity accordingly.
- Balance with Flavor of Tamarind Sauce: Since tamarind sauce can vary in sweetness and tanginess, taste it before adding it to your Samosa Chaat. This way, you can balance the flavors more effectively, especially in relation to the tangy green chutney. Adjust the quantities to suit your preference for a perfectly balanced chaat.
- Serving Temperature: Serve the Samosa Chaat immediately after assembling to ensure that the samosas retain their crunch. Soggy samosas can take away from the texture contrast that makes chaat delightful.
- Instant Pot Cooking: If you're using soaked chickpeas, add them to the Instant Pot with 3 cups of water. Pressure cook for 12 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure. Note: If you alter the serving size, make sure to adjust the quantity accordingly.
- Stovetop Cooking: If you've soaked chickpeas overnight, put 1 cup of them in a large pot with 5 cups of water. Boil on medium heat, then reduce to a simmer for 50-60 minutes until they are soft. Note: If you alter the serving size, make sure to adjust the quantity accordingly.
- Bake to Make it Healthy: While traditionally not considered healthy due to oil-fried samosas and high-calorie sauces, you can give your Samosa Chaat a healthier twist. Try baking the samosas instead of frying and opt for homemade chutneys and sauces to cut down on calories and additives.
Nutrition Info
Disclaimer
We're not nutrition experts, and the nutritional information provided is an estimate. Please use it as a guide. For precise details, it's best to consult a professional. To learn more, please view our Detailed Disclaimers.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
- Versatile Serving Options: Enjoy the delightful Samosa Chaat as a snack, appetizer, or even a full meal. It's perfect for parties, family gatherings, or creatively using up leftover samosa and chole. For the ultimate experience, pair it with a warm cup of Masala Chai.
- Fresh is Best: Chaats are best enjoyed fresh, so it's not advisable to store the fully assembled Samosa Chaat.
- Preparation in Advance: You can prepare the chole and samosas ahead of time and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. Simply reheat and add fresh toppings when ready to serve.
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