Samosas are great but samosa chaat is truly something else. Samosas are slightly smashed and broken, and served with chole (chana masala) and a sweet, spicy, tangy, and crispy array of toppings.
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Samosa chaat reminds me of the fear I felt when my mom left me at the front of Indian store line to go get samosas. I’d just stand there praying that I wouldn’t be asked to pay and silently regretting that I didn’t bring a piggy bank, but I’ve forgiven my mom. As soon as we got home, she made me food for the soul: samosa chaat.
Samosas are a crispy street snack filled with a spiced potato pea mixture. A number of countries have their own version, but the desi version is obviously what I know best. With Holi, the festival of colors, right around the corner, I think turning them into samosa chaat is only right. My favorite way to do it is starting with some chole, lightly smashing and breaking the samosas, and topping it off with a spiced yogurt called raita, sweet and spicy chutneys, and sev.
How to Make Samosa Chaat
Get your samosas.
I’ve tried making samosas before (recipe here) and they are phenomenal when made at home, but they are a bit of a project. Usually I like using Deep Indian Kitchen’s samosas (not sponsored; I just really love their samosas) and air frying them until crisp! When I was younger, my family would usually buy samosas from the Indian grocery store.
Make chole.
Make more chole than you need for the chaat because chole is a versatile queen that can go in everything: kathi rolls, rice, bowls, whatever. You may know chole as chana masala, a spicy chickpea dish made by pressure cooking chickpeas and simmering with aromatics, tomatoes, and spices. It is my favorite food and my mom’s recipe is pretty fire.
Chutney!
Samosa is usually served with a spicy cilantro chutney and sweet tamarind chutney. You can make your own (highly recommended) or get them from the store.
Assemble.
Start with some chole. Then lightly smash and break the samosas. Finish with more chole, the chutneys, raita (spiced yogurt), onions, cilantro, and sev, which is a crispy Indian snack made of chickpea flour that you can find at an Indian grocery store or online!
Samosa Chaat
Ingredients
Samosa chaat
- 8 samosas
- cilantro chutney (see below)
- tamarind chutney
- vegan raita (see below)
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- sev, for topping
- pinch of chaat masala *optional
- 1 recipe of chole (chana masala) *linked in notes
Cilantro chutney
- 1.5 cups fresh cilantro (~ 1 bunch)
- 1 green chili or to taste
- 1 inch ginger
- ½ tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp amchur powder
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
Vegan raita
- 1 cup plant-based yogurt
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp amchur powder
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Process all the ingredients for the green chutney in a small food processor. Add a little water at a time until it is mostly smooth.
- Stir all the ingredients for the raita in a bowl.
- To assemble one serving of chaat, add ½-1 cup chole to a wide bowl. Slightly smash the samosas and break up the pieces. Top with a little more chole. Then drizzle on the cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney, and raita. Finish with onions, cilantro, and sev!
Notes
