Because just eating a samosa by itself is so old school! This Indian street food staple is where it is at!
I have yet to meet a person that hates samosas. I mean, unless you have an allergy, it really is the perfect food. Crispy flakey crust with a warm meat or veg filling that is infused with the most delicious spices. Easy to eat and can easily feed a crowd. But turn it into chaat… thats a whole new level of yum!
What is chaat?
Chaat is a very broad term used to describe all Indian street food. It’s essentially any sort of Indian snack food that is spicy, tangy and topped with loads of yogurt and chutneys. It’s meant to be eaten rather quickly, as a snack rather than a meal. But to be honest I could make a whole meal out of all things chaat!
What is samosa chaat?
Essentially it is taking a samosa and adding tangy, spicy sweet elements to it to turn it into an even more delicious chaat!
The components of a samosa chaat are:
The Samosa – The best samosas, in my opinion, are the thin crispy crust kind. They are more triangular and thin in shape. The wrapper is paper thin so it crisps up really well when it is fried. The other kind of samosa is more like a pyramid shape. They are quite hefty and feel more like a meal than a snack. These thicker crust Punjabi style samosas are huge and can be hard to finish in one sitting. But also equally delicious. Either kind works well for a samosa chaat. Just depends on your personal preference for samosa and how hungry you are!
Im partial to a thin crispy veggie samosa. Potato and peas would be my filling of choice. Whatever the filling, turn it into a samosa chaat and you will not want to eat samosa any other way!
The Yogurt – Essentially it is a simple raita. The yogurt is watered down a bit for a more pourable consistency and flavoured quite simply with salt, pepper and cumin. Feel free to adjust the salt and spice level to your liking.
The Chutneys- You can find the chutney at your local south asian grocer. Sometimes the chutney will come with the samosa of you buy them fresh. But if you can only get the frozen kind of samosas, no worries, you can make your own chutney. It’s actually really easy. I’ve linked all my recipes below.
The Toppings – The are no rules for the toppings of a samosa chaat. Work with what you’ve got on hand. I add more boiled potato or boiled chickpeas if I have them. Personally I also like adding fresh pomegranate seeds for the tanginess they bring to the dish. I keep them in my freezer for such chaat emergencies. I also love adding some extra crunch on top with some sev (thin crispy whisps normally made from chickpea flour) or papdi (larger chips made out of a deep fried wheat flour dough). If you are in a pinch, some crunched up plain potato chips or even chopped peanuts will work too.
Layer everything together and the most important thing is to serve it right away while things are still crunchy and the samosa is still warm! It is like a flavour explosion in your mouth!
Here’s how to make your own samosa chaat at home! Have fun with it! Let me know if you try it!
Easy Samosa Chaat
Ingredients
- 1 large samosa (per person)
- 1 tbsp basic green (hari) chutney store bought or see my recipe below
- 1 tbsp easy imli (tamarind) chutney store bought or see my recipe below
- 1 small potato, cubed and boiled
- 1/4 cup boiled chickpeas
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- pinch cumin powder
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Toppings
- pomegranate seeds (optional)
- fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
- papdi chaat (optional)
- chevda or sev (optional)
- chaat masala (optional)
Instructions
- Heat up your samosa in the oven or an air fryer, if not already warm.
- Separately, in a small bowl, mix the yogurt, cumin powder, salt and pepper to combine. Add a splash of water to ensure the yogurt is a thin, pourable consistency, like a dressing. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Place the warm samosa in a bowl and break into 3-4 large pieces. Pour the yogurt mixture over top. Add the boiled potatoes, boiled chickpeas, green and tamarind chutneys.
- Sprinkle with the remaining topping ingredients. Feel free to mix and match whatever you like or have on hand. There is no rules here. Have fun!
- Serve immediately.
Basic Green Chutney (Paleo/Keto Friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh coriander leaves (about 1 bunch – leaves with thin stems is fine)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves (or mint leaves)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 inch ginger
- 3 green chilli
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a blender, start by blending 3 cloves garlic, 2 inch piece of ginger and 3 green chilli, till just chopped.
- Add 1 cup washed coriander leaves and ½ cup basil leaves, give it another blend for 1 minute.
- Add ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp salt and 1/4 cup coconut flakes, 1 tbsp lemon juice.
- Blend till smooth, adding water one tbsp at a time to reach your desired consistency.
- Your green chutney is ready. Keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Easy Imli Chutney (Keto, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 4 tbsp tamarind paste*
- 4 tbsp monk fruit sweetener (or sub for granulated white sugar for original version)
- 1 tbsp red chilli flakes (adjust to suit your level of spice)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust to your desired sweetness and spice level. I like to add about 1 tbsp more sugar or sweetener for a sweeter chutney.
- Allow to cool completely and transfer to a jar or squeeze bottle for easy saucing. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months. Note: Chutney may thicken slightly in the fridge. This is normal. Just stir it up or add a splash more water if you want to thin it out again before using.
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