It suddenly occurred to me when I turned to my planner this morning, that it’s been almost two months since we got back from our vacation to India and way long for me to go without indulging in some Dahi Puri Chaat. Over the past few weeks, I have been juggling around entertaining friends, meeting deadlines, sampling new products (lots and lots of delicious reviews coming up soon!), and not to mention creating recipes to try out on our newly acquired charcoal grill! As I sit back now, a steaming cup of hot cocoa in hand, it suddenly dawned on me that I had quite an eventful and experimental vacation with relation to food. And why not, I would have had it no other way.
For a food enthusiast, the cuisine of a country is as much to look forward to on a vacation as the most popular tourist attraction. So much so, that on many a short trip, I have been known to cross out a few stops on my sightseeing itinerary only to accommodate a much important trip to the local farmer’s market.
Of the many things that were on my must-eat list during my trip, the few that undoubtedly sought my utmost attention were those that can be found at almost every nook and corner of the busiest streets throughout the country. Ask anyone who has ever walked the streets of any major Indian city, be it Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore, and they will attest to the fact that no evening stroll is complete without making a stop at one of the many hawker stalls in these cities. Street after street, stall after stall, you’re greeted by smiling faces and tempting plates that urge you to come and give it a try.
Chaats, like this Alu Dahi Puri Chaat, are one of those purely addictive foods that I simply refuse to live without!
Smothered with spicy and tangy chutneys, yogurt and tons of other fixings, each plate creates a whole new experience in your mouth. Living outside the comfort of your home country teaches you to adapt in ways you wouldn’t have imagined. And I am no different. Although I do miss the flavours of my favourite eats, I have come to learn of ways to replicate them without having to buy a plane ticket. Here is my quick version of a delicious treat that will simply have you begging for more. It’s fast, simple enough to make, and if you’re pressed for time like me – almost all the ingredients can be easily found and bought at your nearest Indian grocery store. But be warned, it’s a mouthful this one!
Alu Dahi Puri Chaat
Ingredients
- 1 small potato, boiled and mashed
- salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp chaat masala
- 6-8 puri shells (also known as golgappas or pani puri)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt, beaten with 1-2 tbsp of water till smooth
- 3-4 tbsp sweet tamarind chutney (available readymade)
- a handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
- a handful of sev, for garnish
Instructions
- Mix mashed potato well with salt and spices.
- Place puris on a plate, making a small opening on the top of each puri big enough to add potato filling. Be careful to not break/crush puris as they can be fairly delicate to handle.
- Fill each puri with a little bit of potato mixture, about 1-2 tsp of yogurt, and a touch of tamarind chutney. Drizzle leftover yogurt and chutney over the stuffed puris, and garnish with coriander leaves and sev.
- Serve immediately.
This post was originally published in April 2008 and has been recently updated.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you will surely love my Papdi Chaat and Mint Potato Samosas recipe as well.
Tried this recipe? Leave a Comment and let me know, also Rate it by clicking the number of stars on the recipe card. Want to share your version with me? Tag me on Instagram @hookedonheat
I just love chaats. Due to this coronavirus we are not able to eat chaats outside. Thank you for sharing alu dahi puri chaat recipe which we can prepare at home. I will definitely try this at home.
Mmm, love Pani Puri and Bhel Puri – can’t wait to make this one!
Visiting ur blog for the first time……u have a wonderful blog. This aloo dahi puri reminds me of Mumbai, love it!!
“Home is where the chat is”..ohh so true…the one thing I have missed the most after coming to the US is the chaat. But such easy recipes make it bearable n I won’t miss it so much 🙂
It certainly is very simple Divya, I do hope you explore more street food in the comforts of your very own kitchen!
i absolutely love them because I get to eat them so rarely here. Would love to have that plate now…
I love these things, but never knew what they were called. thanks!
Hi! I have been following your blog for quite some while now and absolutely love it. You delight my foodie heart! 🙂
Thanks!
I have just stumbled upon your blog. I love the clean design and fantastic photos. I am a blogger myself and always thought that design was key and you have certainly captured that! There are so many food blogs out there these days and being different from all the others is key. Hope you keep up the good writing and design here! I have now bookmarked you so will be a regular reader, Cheers!
Looks fantastic! Love reading and learning about Indian cooking!
All dishes sound very delicious! I am interested in the food culture of your country. And I support your site.
Just made these, me and my family loved them! Instead of the sev I garnished with onions, diced cucumber, tomato and jalapeno pepper.
awesome!! dahi puri is my favourite chaat item…with loads of meetha chutney!! lovely!!
Great little recipe to try over the weekend for a special occasion.
I could kill a plate of those right now. Chaat is the thing I miss the most here and the stuff I always fall sick eating on the streets in India.
Thanks for the recipe…I am glad that everything can be bought at the stores. 🙂 I love pani puri, too, and ate them on the street.
A great recipe to try to experiment with. I’d like to have the time to “play” in my kitchen when I got spare time and am in the mood to prepare new exotic dishes.
Love u’r alu pooris!! Nothing compares to Indian cart food, right!
just want to quietly announce that I LOVE YOUR FOOD. your blog is beautiful and I want fresh and clean Indian unlike the crap they call Indian here in Nashville for some crazy reason I’ve not cooked Indian, I need to I know I know, but I’m only one person and I am so behind on my cooking as it is but I LOVE YOUR FOOD/BLOG! it really is just wonderful!
It’s sweltering hot here and seeing this pic, my mouth is watering for a mouthful of that poori filled with chilled sweet dahi and tangy sauce 😀
Oh my God…this looks so yummy!
I was introduced to an Indian restaurant called Brantos in Tsim Sha Tsoi, Hong Kong some years ago. I can’t rave enough about this place. And my favourite dish which I would have time after time after time? The one that you write about here. It even looks exactly the same.
Hi, U have such a wonderful blog! I love to learn about simple, modern Indian food and I hope u dont mind me listing ur site as one of my fave in my blog! G’day! 🙂
This looks really good. Thanks for sharing! I just tried ragda patis for the first time this weekend. It was good but the street stalls have me beat.
these look so good! i’m definitely going to make these as a quick weekend lunch/snack.
thanks!
Chaat is a surefire drool generation tool for me. That’s the one food I miss the most. I am going to try your easy recipe…looks totally yummy!
I saw this just the other day in a restaurant menu. This does indeed sound like the kind of street food I would love.
A priority in my itenary when I visit bombay!
Awesome blossom!
Oh my goodness. How gorgeous. I am not too familiar with Indian food or cooking and am learning new things from you all of the time. Sev is new to me as are those puri shells. I actually saw some of shells in an Indian market recently and wondered how they might be used – and now I know. This all looks so very delicious, Meena.
these make me drool!
I think anything I do in any given day revolves around food, and going on vacation is no different! I keep hearing about these street foods in India and I’m starting to get jealous as all I’ve had are the versions here and even these to me are sooooo good! Maybe, someday, I will get the chance to try them.
Awesome!!