Aloo Tikki Chaat

I am ashamed it has taken me over two years to bring this aloo tikki chaat recipe to you considering it was such an integral part of all major festivals especially Holi and Diwali while growing up.

My mother made this delicious chaat when I was a kid. From the sidelines, I eagerly watched the different textures and colours come together to create this fantastic taste bomb. Eventually, she sensed my excitement and let me have a go. I still remember the Diwali when for the first time I was tasked with assembling chaat. Suddenly I felt so important and grown-up. In my tween head, it was no mean feat to bring together almost ten ingredients, eyeballing their amounts and presenting them enticingly on a platter for my parents’ friends. It was not a task I took lightly. In fact, I took immense joy and pride. Over time I would also ask the guests for their preference. “Zyaada ya Kum Teekha?” (would you like it hot or mild). Something my neighbourhood Chaatwala always asked.

The Three Parts To Your Aloo Tikki Chaat

If there is one dish that I can make in my sleep, I think it is this Aloo Tikki Chaat. With time as I have had my own family and started making my own family rituals and traditions, tikki chaat has become an integral part of my celebrations too. I continue to take pride in the way I make it. Speak of blowing your own trumpet 😀

Broadly speaking, this recipe has three major components to it:

1. The aloo (potato) tikki – This is the bland and (preferably) deep-fried component. A common mistake made while making chaat at home is loading the tikki with too many spices. Remember that chaat is a dish widely (and wildly) popular because of the many unique textures and flavours coming together to offer a surprise in every bite. This my friend is no hyperbole. The anticipation when you spoon out a helping of chaat and the surprise that follows, not knowing which of those many flavours would land in your mouth tingling what part of your tongue is what makes chaat such a popular and special Indian Street Food. Hence it is extremely important that each component has its uniqueness so it complements the rest in the best possible manner! And the tikki’s job is to to offer blandness (so it absorbs the remaining flavours well) and oily crispiness. Did that make you drool a wee bit already?
2. The matar (peas) sabzi – While the tikki is bland, the matar sabzi is mildly spiced and textured forming the next layer. Check my white matar sabzi recipe which you can make for this dish as well. Some people also like to use the green matar instead of white. The recipe for both would remain the same.
3. The Stars – Well! At least that is what I like to call them. Once the base has been created by the tikki, the flavours come from these stars. Namely onions, fresh coriander, chaat masala, rock salt, roasted cumin, yogurt, red chili powder, imli (tamarind) chutney, mint-coriander chutney, sev, and green chilies. Add them as per your taste.

Together aloo tikki chaat is an orchestra of strikingly different components with polar opposite tastes which come when come together create the most delightful symphony of flavours leaving you wanting for more!