The Journey of Chaat from Street to Scene

I usually research for my articles late at night, and I regret doing that this time. I do not recommend venturing into the world of chaat on social media after midnight, but if you do beware of the risks!

Hearing the word chaat or even smelling it and looking at it, is enough to make the mouth water of any patriotic Indian. It is a major part of our street food, and many Indian chefs abroad have dishes on their menus inspired by the flavours of this decadent street treat. Most of it is vegan excluding the ones with butter, yogurt or milk.....so, hey...everyone wins.

Image via Flickr by Shashwat Nagpal

Who doesn't like chaat? You see kids leaving school in the evening queued at the Pani Puri walas, youngsters on their roadside dates with Dahi Puri and Papdi chaat in their hands, and Middle-class working men carrying parcels of aloo tikki chaat for their families at home. These are some aspects of the chaat scene in my corner of India that I have seen, and as always happens with these blogs, I always learn something new about the things that I thought I already knew about.......HISTORY LESSON!

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History of Chaat

During the 17th century, when Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi, he decided to consult everyone except for his Hakim (Physician), who was upset with him. He informed his emperor that the water of the Yamuna River was not potable and would spread diseases like Cholera. Shah Jahan asked his Hakim for a solution as he had already established his capital there. His physician suggested that the only solution is for people to consume extremely spicy food, which will counteract the bacteria in the water. But consuming too much spice can cause gastrointestinal problems, so the food should be doused with ghee, curd, and citrus which will aid in digestion.

Dahi Papdi Chaat

The word 'Chaat' literally means 'to lick'. It was known that these dishes were so delicious that people used to lick them off their fingers. The word also has some resemblance with another Indian word 'Chatpata', which according to famous Indian chef, Gaggan Anand, is the Umami of India. In the famous Chef docu-series "Chef's Table", Chef Gaggan talks about how Chatpata is a combination of the four basic tastes in Indian cuisine: Sweet, Sour, Salty, and Spicy. These four tastes are enough to knock the flavour socks off of anyone who has developed a sense of desire to experience life to the fullest. (I will try to control my hunger as I write this)

Non-vegetarians had their meat dishes which consisted of these ingredients, whereas vegetarians had to come up with dishes which had all these components, and hence 'chaat' was created. A category of dishes that consist of spicy, savoury, sweet, sour flavours and smells that no one could resist. This chaat slowly took over and became a major part of the street food of Delhi.

(Lemme grab a snack)

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A Chat about Chaat

Chaat is the common man's food, and that's the best kind. Is it supposed to stay that way though? Many high-end restaurants offer their versions of this street delicacy. But, it's generally assumed that the best kind is often the street variety. But, everyone has something to offer, and in a way many skilled chefs present their own creations and life experiences on a plate, which in a way is what drives our cuisine forward. This was a video that I found interesting when I was researching about this.

Two chefs, from two completely different sets of backgrounds and aims, make the same dish- Daulat ki chaat. Daulat ki chaat (Daulat means richness) is a milk-based dessert that is made by boiling milk and cream, cooling it overnight and churning it for 5 hours which creates a light, fluffy dessert that is flavoured with saffron, pistachios, almonds, etc. (This was the first time I saw a dessert chat item in my life) These two chefs have two different outlooks on this dish. They are both impacting India's image on the global food scene in their own way.

In the video, the street vendor represents the tradition and cultural heritage of chaat-making in India. Chefs like him are the base component of the inspiration behind many recreations of chaat. The chef from the 5-star hotel represents all the other chefs who are willing to take the cuisine forward in a way that is understood and displayed artistically on a global scale. (*MUNCH* *MUNCH*)

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Sometimes, chefs receive backlash for "bastardizing" traditional foods like chaat in their restaurants abroad, like Gaggan Anand when he made white chocolate Pani Puri. In an interview with Vogue, he said "The inspiration for chocolate pani puri came when I first tasted orange chocolate and chilli chocolate together. " Chef Gaggan aims to push our cuisine forward, and he said, "All the negativity of people who think Indian food is just about curry with lots of rice and naan made me want to prove that it is so much more than that, and it can compete with the best haute cuisine of the world."

As time grows, food continues to evolve. Chaat is different now than what it used to be, and it will be even more in a few more years. Chaat is one of our culinary treasures and it drives a deep emotion in all of us that is usually associated with food.......Nostalgia.

That's it for this time. See you next week!

*BURP*