Chaat or Street Food (aka Sev Puri)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I finally got to indulge in street food.  We went to a place that is know not only to be clean, but some of the best in the city.  The cart certainly lived up to its reputation.

We indulged in my new Indian food addiction, sev puri.  It is just a delicious looking mess.  Basically, it's made of sort of a flat, cracker like bread, with potato on top, sauce and crunchy bits.  It doesn't sound like much, but it's the perfect combination of crunchiness, softness, and sauciness.  In the last week, I've eaten it five times.  I can get it at the cafeteria at work, plus there is a restaurant nearby that makes it.  This afternoon, on my way to the grocery store for some juice, I ended up stopping off at the restaurant and getting an order.  What's fun about the restaurant is that they have a counter that sells "street food".  I can just walk up, get my sev puri, eat it and be gone again in less than 10 minutes.  Plus it's dirt cheap.  Less than a dollar at the restaurant and at work, it's about 20 cents.

Below is a recipe.  I will make attempt it when I'm hope.  I'm sure that I can get most of the ingredients in Toronto's Little India.  If I can't, I'll just have to find a reason to come back here.. :)

Sev Puri

10 - Flat Puris (crisp)
1 cup Fine Sev
1/2 cup chopped Onion (Pyaj)
1/2 cup Curd (Dahi)
3 tblsp Tamarind (Imli) Chutney
3 tblsp Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta) Chutney
1/2 cup boiled Potato (Aloo)
1 tblsp Chaat Masala
1/2 tsp Red chili pepper (Lal Mirchi)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seed (Jeera) 

How to make sev puri:

• Arrange the puris on a plate make a hole in each puri in the centre.
• Fill with a few chopped boiled potato cubes.
• Add about 1/4 tsp of tamarind and green chutneys in each.
• Sprinkle cumin powder, salt, red chilli powder.
• Sprinkle finely chopped onions.
• Then generously sprinkle sev all over the puris.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander.
• Serve fresh..