0
Chaat Woes
Posted by SMM
on
18:14
So I'm off to Cal next week...and one thing I'm certainly looking forward to (besides Ma ke haath ka khana) is hogging on the puchkas (golgappas/ panipuris t0 you) and the churmur (a tangy spicy mix of alu and crushed puckas and khatta pani and masalas).
One of my greatest woes in Delhi is that you just don't get decent chaat in this city. The bhaiyyas here beleive chaat is either teekha (spicy) or meetha (sweet). They just don't seem to believe i the concept of khatta (tangy). If I want something teekha I'l have a mutton curry and if I want something meetha i'd rather have chocolate. And if you ask them to put khatta, the brillaint dudes put one drop of lemon juice from a lemon well past its prime or else they'l put one stingy spoon of aamchur (dried mango powder). And if I tell them that I don't want dahi (curd) on my chaat they look at me as if I'm wearing a green suit and have two antennae on my head.
Its time to introduce the haatwalas in saddi Dilli to the pleasures of khatta acheved through the liberal use of imli (tamarind) and imli ka pani (tamarind water). I suggest that all the chaatwalas in Dilli be sent on a crash course to Kolkata to lean how to make decent chaat. Yes you probably think I'm out of my mind to even dare suggest such a thing, but I'm not, I'm very very serious. Having tasted chaat in most of the major cities in India, I am of the sincere opinion that chaat in Kolkata is the best (and no I am not prejudiced). its just that I don't enjoy chaat which has only two tastes - teekha or meetha.
Chaat is something mouthwatering - it should inspire and touch all my tastebuds - it should be tangy and spicy and meetha and bland. Each bite should taste different. Just looking at it and one starts drooling. It's a yummy smell.
Someone please tell the chaatwalas this :(
One of my greatest woes in Delhi is that you just don't get decent chaat in this city. The bhaiyyas here beleive chaat is either teekha (spicy) or meetha (sweet). They just don't seem to believe i the concept of khatta (tangy). If I want something teekha I'l have a mutton curry and if I want something meetha i'd rather have chocolate. And if you ask them to put khatta, the brillaint dudes put one drop of lemon juice from a lemon well past its prime or else they'l put one stingy spoon of aamchur (dried mango powder). And if I tell them that I don't want dahi (curd) on my chaat they look at me as if I'm wearing a green suit and have two antennae on my head.
Its time to introduce the haatwalas in saddi Dilli to the pleasures of khatta acheved through the liberal use of imli (tamarind) and imli ka pani (tamarind water). I suggest that all the chaatwalas in Dilli be sent on a crash course to Kolkata to lean how to make decent chaat. Yes you probably think I'm out of my mind to even dare suggest such a thing, but I'm not, I'm very very serious. Having tasted chaat in most of the major cities in India, I am of the sincere opinion that chaat in Kolkata is the best (and no I am not prejudiced). its just that I don't enjoy chaat which has only two tastes - teekha or meetha.
Chaat is something mouthwatering - it should inspire and touch all my tastebuds - it should be tangy and spicy and meetha and bland. Each bite should taste different. Just looking at it and one starts drooling. It's a yummy smell.
Someone please tell the chaatwalas this :(
