I fell in love with the street food of India.
Despite multiple warnings from many people that I shouldn’t be eating outside of my hotels, I ventured onto the streets of Mumbai and Bangalore searching for street food and local taste and was rewarded handsomely.
This is Dahi Aloo Puri, a type of “chat” (sometimes spelled as “chaat“). I am no strangers to Indian food as Malaysia has abundant offerings of Indian food, but I have never tasted anything like this before…
Crispy “puri” (the shells) are filled with mashed peas potatoes and then drenched in yoghurt, sweet tamarind chutney, and topped with loads of unknown cripsy yellow crunchies. (Will someone please tell me what are the toppings?). They were so delightful and tasted “new” to me…simply delicious.
If you have the recipe, please share with me. Please also educate me more about Dahi Aloo Puri. I am also interested to learn more about the difference between “Bombay chat” and “Dahi chat.”
Thanks in advance!
P.S.: If you haven’t visited my travel blog for a while, do check it out as I have posted a few new pictures, taken during my recent travels. :)
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
What delightfully mouth-watering pictures Bee! The yellow crispy stuff is called Sev, and can be found easily in packs in any Indian grocery store. It’s funny you asked for the recipe - have one coming up this week, so be sure to check it out! :)
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Bee, you lucky one!
Dahi = yogurt, Aloo = potato, and poori is the round shell, so a dahi-aloo-poori in a chaat context is a combination of the three, with the usual chutneys and toppings like sev, cilantro.
I am not sure if there is any specific thing as ‘bombay chaat’, atleast not in bombay, ;-), but if you describe, someone could try to deconstruct.
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look at those crispetty crunchies, that looks awesome! cant wait for meena’s recipe to find out the secret :)
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This looks so good I want to try it! I hope I can find it here in the states.
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the crispy topping reminds me of mamee. :)
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Oh my. I want some, and then I want the recipe! Gorgeous!
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Readily available in KL, after 4pm, at Restoran Chat Masala, J Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields. Theirs are filled with your choice of chickpeas or paneer. And they’re wonderful (as are all the chat).
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2007/08/time-for-a-chaa.html
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Yummy! You did a lovely job of documenting it! I can mail you recipe from my part of India - Gujarat, if you don’t already have it from 100 other Indians. Going to Travel Blog Next!
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What are these small yellow stuffs on the top of your meal ??? Never seen that before….
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I couldn’t resist the street food in India as well! The food in Mumbai tastes so good, isn’t it? It’s a pity that I didn’t see this dish when I was there.
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I will send you an email with the recipes. I have the recipe for puri and tamarind chutney
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I just sent you an email with the recipes
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Always eat street food wherever you go! Everyone told me not to eat the street food, but I knew better! One of my favorite snacks in India - Pani Puri & Bhel Puri!
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That looks good. The tamarind chutney sounds really interesting.
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I’m sure eating in India must be a transcendental experience!
Me like. :-)
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Here you go Bee dearest, the recipe as promised - http://www.hookedonheat.com/2008/04/23/home-is-where-the-chaat-is-alu-dahi-puri/
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You certainly get around don’t you! Good to hear you didn’t take the advice and took to the streets.. How else are you going to get a feel for the people and food of where you are at?
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if mango power girl gives you her recipe, please share! gujarati food is the best!
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Those little yellow thingies are called “SEV”. THey are pretty much tiny crispy deep-fried noodles made from chickpea flour and water. I love them too, they make a perfect crunch topping on anything.
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Meena’s recipe rocks, if you haven’t tried it yet. I always fall sick in India on this street meal - but it’s totally worth it.
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Just to jog your memory shev is basically what we in Malaysia would call the mixed murukku mix in our kacang putih or “bombay mix” made of gram flour.
There is a good picture of the mix in this blog posting.
http://asianimages.wordpress.com/2008/01/13/kacang-putih-childhood-memories-are-made-of-these/
However for a Ipohite like me, I guess we prefer to mix and match our own “ipoh mix” to the extend that some of the kacang putih vendors in KL who originally come from Ipoh would recognise your origins if you ask for such a mix. :>)
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hi
nice to see an indian dish on the blog
so well photographed , I feel like just putting my hand out and eating it as i love dahi puri
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Hey! The next time you are in India you have to eat some PANI PURI .. especially in Mumbai at Elco in Bandra.
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