Tater Tots Chaat

Crispy baked tater tots form the base for this Tater Tots Chaat which is then topped with all the usual chaat add-ons to make it crunchy, creamy, sweet, spicy and delicious all at the same time. Ready in under 30 mins.

I am starting this off with the assumption that you have had a chaat in some form or the other. If not, lets find out what is is.

What is chaat?

Chaat is a form of Indian street food snack and can be made with a variety of ingredients as the base of it. It could be potatoes for Aloo Chaat, Samosas for Samosa Chaat, Fried Wafers for Papdi Chaat, Puffed Rice for Bhel Puri, Pakoras for Pakora Chaat and the list goes on.

Whatever the base ingredient is, chaats are always topped with a variety of toppings. The spicy green Cilantro Mint Chutney is one and the sweet and sour Tamarind Chutney is the other chutney that goes on top of most all chaats.

Then there is always finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro and sometimes green chillies. Some chaats also have lightly sweetened yogurt sauce that goes on it. They are all then chopped with crunchy fine nylon sev, which is a form of fried thin (very fine) chickpea flour and spices.

So, that is the anatomy of chaat if you needed an introduction or just a refresher.

I have to admit that the idea for Tater Tots Chaat is not entirely mine. Years ago, for one of our neighborhood summer picnic potluck, a neighbour bought this along and I just loved it. I loved the dish but more than that I just loved the idea of it. I have been making it every once in a while ever since and have been meaning to share it here on the blog.

We love this tater tots chaat because

• It is such a fun fusion recipe that kids and grown ups love alike.
• It is customizable to everyone’s palate and tastes for spice and heat.
• It doesn't take much prep work, if you already have the chutneys ready.
• This is a great party appetizer or a chai time snack.
• Everyone loves chaat!!

Ingredients for this recipe

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• Tater Tots - get your favorite brand of frozen tater tots. We love the 365 brand of organic tater tots from WholeFoods.
• Onions, Tomatoes, cilantro - all finely chopped.
• Cilantro Mint Green Chutney - you could use store bought one or make at home with this recipe for green chutney. It is super simple to make with minimal ingredients you may always have at hand in your pantry and refrigerator.
• Tamarind chutney - you can also find this in most Asian grocery stores. This is not tamarind paste, but tamarind chutney or tamarind date chutney.
• Sweetened yogurt - plain yogurt that is beaten with a little sugar or you could use a vanilla yogurt too, if that's all you have. Plain yogurt with sugar added to it is recommended. Thin out the yogurt a little with some water, to make it to a pourable consistency.
• Sev - super thin crispy fried chickpea flour sticks that you will find in Asian / Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.
• Pomegranate seeds - not absolutely necessary, but it does add that extra dimension of taste and texture and adds a pop of color as well.
• Chat masala - a spice mix usually sprinkled on top of chaats, can be found in Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.

Method

• Bake the tater tots in the oven as per directions on the package.
• Keep all the other ingredients ready to go. Once the tater tots are cooked, let them cool down a little.
• On a platter, spread out the tater tots. Sprinkle the onions, tomatoes and cilantro over it.

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• Drizzle the chutneys and the yogurt over it. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds, sev and chat masala and serve immediately.

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• Keep extra chutneys and yogurt on the side for anyone to add more as they feel so.

We love these other chai time snacks too

• Pakora Chaat
• Paneer Butternut Squash Tikki
• Masala Papad
• Beetroot Parippu Vada - Beet Lentil Fritters
• Matar Kachori - Green Peas Fried Pastry

Tips for making a delicious chaat

• Assemble the chaat when you are ready to serve. This will make sure that the crunchy bits are still crunchy when you eat them and not get soggy from all the chutneys and yogurt on it.
• Use fresh and homemade chutneys as much as possible. In a pinch, store bought chutneys can be used as well.
• Everyone has their palate for chaat. Some like it sweeter, some like it spicier. Start by adding a little of everything and lay out the rest for everyone to add more of anything as they need.

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