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Chaat - India
A general Indian term referring to savory snacks (often served on the
street) - running the range
from fried dough and dried yellow noodles, to Vada donuts soaked in
yogurt. Following are a few common types of Chaat:
Bhel Puri - A
snack made from puffed rice and the fried noodles known as sev...mixed
together with a spicy tangy chutney (sauce) made from tomatoes, chili
and sometimes tamarind. Really neat. Kind of like slightly
wet rice krispies, mixed with your favorite BBQ sauce. (Really,
that's way better than it sounds...!) GG Note: I'd eat this one again.
Place Sampled: Bollywood
Dahi Puri -
A hard shell, filled with mash potato or chickpea
Dahi Vada -
Vada donuts soaked in yogurt
Kachori
Chaat - A tangled mixture of chopped up stuff
(like pototo), flavored with sweet/sour sauces and yogurt - served in a
deep fried, edible bowl.
GG: Not bad. Not
awe-inspiring, but tasty nonetheless...Place sampled: Sukhadia
Papri
Chaat - A spicy-sweet combination of potato, tamarind, chili
and yogurt
GG Note: Gaijin Girl note: I've
had this
one. HIGHLY recommended...with a 4
star rating. Tangy,
sweet,
and slightly spicy. Kind of reminds me of Rojak, a Malaysian
favorite of mine! Followup
note: the first papri chaat I had was at Katie's - and it rocked my
world. A second sampling (of Aloo
Papri Chaat) at Sukhadia's was nice, but not awe-inspiring. So go
for the Katie's version,
and save Sukhadia for other stuff. Place sampled: Katies and
Sukhadia
Pani puri -
A puffed, crispy-hollow shell, filled with spicy chickpea or potato
fillings. The snack
comes with a
spiced masala water (mine was greenish), which is poured into the
center of the
puff.
A more scandalous party version comes complete with vodka
instead of
water!
GG Note: Not bad, but
really not
all that. At least compared to Papri Chaat. (Course,
I didn't
get to have
the vodka kind....so maybe
I'm hasty. :) ) But for now, this particular type of
chaat
does not warrant a repeat performance. Place sampled: Katie's
Samosa
Chaat - Your regular deep fried samosas - chopped up and
buried in a mountain of tomato laced sauce.
GG Note: Yummy, tangy, and
really tasty. Good, good stuff. Place sampled:
Sukhadia
Sev Puri - Similar to
Panipuri (see above.) (Puris are
fried, hollow crispy
crackers loaded with
various savory fillings). In this particular case, the
snack consists of puri crackers stuffed with a
potato filling...drizzled with a bit of yogurt, tamarind sauce,
and little deep fried chickpea noodles,
known as Sev.
GG Note: Not bad...though puris themselves don't
overly impress me. I won't be going for seconds
on this one. Place
sampled: Bollywood
Would I try
again?
OOOOOOOOHHHH yeah. At least, the
Papri Chaat. Now that
kicks serious culinary a*s.
Where
I
found it: Katie Rolls and
Chaat House, Masala Bollywood,
and Sukhadia
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Chapati - India
Flatter than Naan, but fluffier than a tortilla, it's whole wheat flat
bread, Indian style. And it's good. Dip it in some sambol
(spicy sauce). Yummy.
Would I try again?
Yes
Where
I
found it: Chennai Garden
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Coconut Soup -
Indian
I don't know what was in this, other than coconut and a handful of
spices. And it was ordered way up North, so I'm not sure where to
get it around here. But I can only say - this stuff was
amazing! Coconut taste, of course, but something extra.
Some spices that just made it - da bomb. If you're at an Indian
restaurant and see it on the menu, get it. Can't promise it'll be
as good as in Saratoga Springs, but give it a try!
Would I try again?
Yes, yes, yes! Four stars!
Where
I
found it: An Indian restaurant up in Saratoga Springs...
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Curry - India
Curry is--of cours--the thing in India. But
different curries have different names, and very different tastes.
I like curry in general, but here are a few of the individual
types/terms I have encountered...
Jalfrezi - is actually
a method of cooking - it
means hot fry (sort of an Indian stirfry). Lots of ingredients,
but only a little sauce.
Vindaloo - Originally a
Portuguese dish, with the two main ingredients being wine vinegar and
garlic. In your average Indian restaurant, it connotes the
hottest curry they have.
Would I try again?
Yes - but I can't make any blanket statement about curries - it depends
so thoroughly on the cook, and the restaurant. In general?
Like 'em!
Where
I
found it: Any Indian restaurant
For more information: See
a Glossary
of Indian Curries from the UK, a place which really knows it's Indian cuisine.
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Dhokla
A fast food snack originating in the state of
Gujarat - made from a batter of ground up chickpea or besan flour, left
to ferment for a couple of hours. When ready the mixture is
steamed, and formed into chewy little cake-squares. Served
with peanut oil or chutney, these little cakes have an interesting (and
slightly tangy) texture. They don't look like much, but you start
to like them the more you eat...
Would I try again?
Yes - I think this one is going to actually grow on me....
Where I found it: Sukhadia
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Dosa
- South Indian
(In Sri Lanka, this item
is called Thosa)
Imagine a potato filled burito, covered with curry - but
with quite a
few more layers of outside wrapper. That's a dosa, and it was
quite tasty. I enjoyed it quite a bit (despite each and every
carb) - my only complaint is that there was too much. Half of it
would have been just fine!
Would I try again?
Yes.
Where I found it: Chennai Garden
and NY
Dosa Cart
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Haleem -
Pakistani
A minced mixture of beef, wheat and heavy curry - almost chili-soup
like in consistency. And a signature dish of Pakistan. Not
quite as thick as the "pudding" texture that I've heard it described
as. But it goes down quickly due to the consistency, and is an
enjoyable (spicy) eat. (Although, at $6.99 for a small bowl, I did find it a bit expensive.
And - it was quite oily.)
Would I try again?
Yes.
Where I found it: Shaheen
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Idiappam
- South Indian
a.k.a. String Hoppers in
Sri Lanka
Made from rice meal dough, string hoppers are tangled nests of thin
noodles, shaped into thin discs about the size of a pancake silver
dollar. They're served with curry for dipping. They're
light, and yummy, and kind of like 'breakfast spaghetti'.
Would I try again?
Yes
Where
I
found it: New Asha
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Iddli/Iddly -
South Indian
Medium sized, white dumplings, a type of vegetarian snack that's called
Tiffin in India. Often combined with Vada (see below) for
breakfast (Iddli-Vadai). Although there are variations, it's
basically soaked rice, ground into a paste and steamed. Iddlis
are served with Sambal (a spicy sauce) or Chutny. Mine came
floating in a spicy 'soup' - the shape and consistency, at least,
reminded my of my grandmother's matzo balls.
Would I try again?
Yes - they were nice.
Where
I
found it: Chennai Garden
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Kachori
(Lilva Kachori)
Round deep fried balls of flour filled with various spicy stuff (such
as potatoes, bean paste, or even sweet stuff like sugar and
coconut.) The ones from Sukhadia were filled with a green pea
(lilva) paste, and served with chutney (sauce) for dipping.
Would I try again?
Occasionally. The ones I had were very tasty and
satisfying. (Not thrilled about the deep frying, but oh well.)
Where I found it: Sukhadia
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Kati Roll -
India
The Indian equivalent of a burrito - paratha bread wrapped around
traditional Indian fillings like chicken curry, or yummy spicy
chickpea. Said to have been created in Calcutta by the Mughlai
restaurant known as Nizams. It's convenient, it's tasty...and
really works for a quick grab n' go type snack.
Would I try again?
Yes - though they're somewhat greasier than I tend to like. But
if you're a burrito fan, you do
have to try them.
Where
I
found it: Katie Rolls and
Chaat House
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Mulligatawny
Soup - Indian
A traditional Anglo-Indian soup - the name means "pepper water."
It's got chicken, cardamom, garlic, lemon and a host of other quasi
spicy ingredients. But I'm used to free-basing Malaysian meals,
so this soup was just too
mild for my tastes.
Would I try again?
Nah.
Where
I
found it: An Indian restaurant in mid-town.
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Naan
Bread/Roti- Indian/Pakistani
A flat, unleavened oval bread, standard to any Indian meal. Very
similar to pita bread, but fluffier (in my opinion.) Soft and
very filling.
Would I try again?
Definitely - it's a delicious, filling staple to Indian cuisine.
Where I found it: Any
Indian establishment you frequent.
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Pakora - Indian
Deep fried vegetable (or cheese) fritters. Kind 'o like Indian
tempura, but perhaps a little more greasy.
Would I try again?
No - deep fried doesn't really appeal. I'm too health
conscious....
Where
I
found it: Any basic Indian restaurant
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Papadum -
Indian/Pakistani
A crisp, wafer like bread with a slight peppery flavor, served as a
side order. It's good when dipped in curry and chutney (like o'
like Indian nachos?)
Would I try again?
Yes - it's very good.
Where I found it: Any
Indian restaurant.
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Paratha/Roti -
Indian/Pakistani
A layered, flaky pan fried bread (roti means bread) - it can be stuffed
between the layers themselves
with chicken, or meat, and warmed to a nice stomach filling temperature.
Would I try again?
Yes - it's quite filling and satisfying
Where I found it: Shaheen
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Patra
A Gujarati specialty - steamed taro leaves, filled with a spicy
chickpea paste. (It can also be fried.) Okay, it doesn't sound
like much, but this dish has to be tried. The texture is
strangely satisfying, and the spices are subtle, and start to grow on
you as the meal progresses. On top of all that, it's probably
pretty darned nutritious. Serious yum.
Would I try again?
Oh, yeah. VERY good stuff... 3.8 stars!
Where I found it: Sukhadia
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Puri
Crispy, hollow deep fried crackers...often used in Chaat snacks -
loaded with savories like potato, chickpea and other spicy stuff.
Would I try again?
Nah. It's deepfried and junkfoody, which doesn't quite work for
me. (Doesn't mean you
shouldn't give it a shot.)
Where I found it: Lots
o' places (anywhere with Chaat.)
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Ragda Patties
Another type of Chaat (see above.) These babies are panfried,
mashed potato cutlets - covered with a savory, thick n' spicy chickpea
stew (ingredients include onions, coriander and tamarind.) Though
they're only potato pancakes, the patties have a great, smooth
texture...and the stew that they're buried in is absolutely delish.
Would I try again?
Yes! (At least at Sukhadia)...these were extremely nice. 3.8 stars.
Where I found it: Sukhadia
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Roasted Gram
From my understanding, "Gram" means Bean. These are puffed,
roasted little spheres (some type of bean?). When you first try
them, they're kind of plain. But the taste grows on you as you
eat them - I started to develop a bit of a craving after two
handfuls. Certainly, they'd make a handy nutritious snack on the
go and at the office.
Would I try again?
Sometimes.
Where
I
found it: A local deli.
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Samosas -
Indian/Pakistani
Fried, flaky turnover pastries filled with either vegetables or
meat. Quite filling, and a traditional Indian snack.
Would I try again?
Yes - Samosas have been some of my fave Indian treats since I
discovered the cuisine as a kid.
Where I found it: Any
Indian restaurant. Any one.
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Thepla
An unleavened, fried or roasted bread...embedded with a few spices and
herbs for flavor. Often served in Gujarati.
Would I try again?
Nah - too greasy, and nothing much to them. (For me.)
Where I found it: Sukhadia
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Uppma
A mildly spiced rice porridge (more solid than liquid). Very
filling, but really little more than a mashed rice version of
oatbran.
Not worth the $9.50 it cost to try.
Would I try again?
Nice, but nah.
Where
I
found it: Dosa Hut
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Utthappam -
South Indian
A wheat and lentil pancake, which can be dressed with various spices
and curries. It looks and eats something like a curry pizza (the
'dough' is a little too soft and moist for this to be a perfect analogy)
Would I try again?
Theoretically, yes - it was quite tasty. But there are so many
other things to try, it won't be in my immediate future.
Where I found it: Madras
Mahal
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Vada/Vadai -
South Indian
Another tiffin (snack) - deep fried soaked and mashed dahl (lentil/bean
paste). It looks like a plain donut, but doesn't have the
sweetness. There are different variations, depending on what goes
into the mash, and what it's served with. Nice, like a large
dumpling.
Would I try again?
Yes - not spicy, but nice.
Where
I
found it: Chennai Garden
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