“BLT” Chaat – fresh, lip smacking bites of lettuce, onions, tomatoes in a spice mixture, dolloped over a slice of green chutney slathered slice of beetroot; street food delight in a healthy bite; perfect for get-togethers, parties or even as a simple quick and nutritious snack. It is so easy to make and tastes refreshing and delicious. Once you have cooked or steamed beetroot, a quick mixture of salad veggies (lettuce, tomato, onions, green chilis etc.) spiced up with the mouthwatering flavors of Indian street food (roasted cumin, chaat masala, lemon juice etc.) are topped over each green chutney smeared beet slice! You can try my south Indian version of green chutney (with coconut) or make it without coconut; recipe in recipe card below. A sprinkle of crushed roasted peanuts and some crispy sev (deep fried chickpea batter noodles) are the piece de resistance of this whole chaat experience. You must try this soon! I know my family is craving for these again! Go get some beets and make yourself this super easy to make, super delicious and healthy “BLT” chaat bites at home!
WHAT IS CHAAT?
By now, everyone probably knows what “chaat” is, it is derived from the word “chaatna”, the verb which literally means “to lick” in Urdu and Hindi. In India, it is a collection of street food like snacks or dishes which are so tasty with a heavenly combo of sweet, sour, spicy, crunchy, fresh, healthy (sometimes) and lip smacking (literally!) flavors in every bite; hence the name chaat, the noun form. Some examples of mouthwatering chaats are samosas, crushed and served with drizzles of sweetened curd/yogurt, tamarind and green chutney, south Indian style Masala Puri, the ubiquitous Pani Puri and of course sev puri, bhel puri, papri chaat etc. to name a few.
“BLT” CHAAT:
This is something I came up with as a healthy alternative to regular papri chaat where a spicy potato mixture is topped on a crispy fried cracker called papri/papdi. My version is guilt free (using beet slices instead of papdi) and refreshing but yet with the heady and mouthwatering mix of chaat flavors! If you google “BLT”, you will come up with the term “Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato” which refers to the combo used in sandwiches or burgers which most western countries are familiar with. “BLT” chaat is my Indian vegetarian take on Papri Chaat using Beetroot instead of “papri” (the “B” in “BLT”). Slices of cooked or steamed beets are slathered with fresh green cilantro chutney and topped with a finely chopped salad like mixture of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green chilies (or jalapenos) etc. The spices that give it a chaat like experience are roasted cumin powder, chaat masala powder, kala namak or pink/black salt. A sprinkle of crushed peanuts (you can add some in the salad mixture too for more crunch) and crisp sev completes the whole lip smacking chaat experience albeit in a healthy and refreshing way. Missing the sweet element in this? Drizzle some tamarind chutney if you like! Does it sound like fun and delicious? I know my family were literally popping these in their mouth, gleefully.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE “BLT” CHAAT:
Beetroots - this is what is used in the place of papri (crisp and flat deep fried flour crackers). Just boil or steam beet, peel and slice into slightly thick pieces. Salad or topping Ingredients – finely shredded lettuce (preferably iceberg lettuce which is naturally fresh and crunchy or the crunchy part of Romaine lettuce), finely chopped tomatoes (deseed if preferred), onions (of course has to be red onions), green chilies (jalapenos or even Serrano peppers for the heat) and chopped cilantro/coriander leaves. Spices – all chaats have roasted cumin powder in them. Just powder cumin seeds and roast it over medium low heat until you get a lovely aroma; do not let it burn. Of course, you will need chaat masala powder (homemade or store bought; easily available online or in Indian stores), kala namak (sometimes called pink salt or even black salt; they come in both colors). Lemon juice – adds a lovely freshness and tang to the salad like in chaats.
Green chutney – cilantro or coriander leaves, some green chilies (or jalapenos/Serrano peppers), lemon juice, fresh ginger and again some roasted cumin powder along with salt to taste. If you love mint leaves, use half and half of cilantro and mint leaves in the chutney. Some crushed roasted and peeled peanuts and crispy sev (deep fried chickpea flour batter noodles which can be homemade or store bought). Mix the topping just before serving – veggies, spices, salt and lemon juice. Slather the beet slices with green chutney, top with chopped and seasoned lettuce, tomatoes and onions mixture, sprinkle peanuts and sev and enjoy!
TIPS TO MAKE AND ENJOY THE BEST “BLT” CHAAT:
Hope you make this soon in your kitchen. If you do happen to, please leave your thoughts in the comment box below (do not forget to give a star rating) or share your version on Instagram tagging me (@curryandvanilla16) and/or on my Facebook page. Enjoy and Happy Eating!
If you are a street food or chaat lover like most Indians are, then you must check out these lip smacking delights from my blog:
Masala Puri Chaat Cornflakes Bhel Pani Puri Salem Thattu Vadai Set Ragda Patties Chatpata Misal Pav with Mung Bean Sprouts
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