Chaat Is a Cookbook That Will Warm Your Bones in Winter.
Welcome to Cookbook of the Week. In this series, I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While searching for a specific recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has its own magic.
I imagined I’d be rummaging through cookbooks dedicated to cookies and cakes two weeks before Christmas, but sweets aren’t the only talisman for the end of December, and neither are runny noses and itchy throats. I have a stubborn runny nose this week and I don’t want a cookie this time. I need a warm blanket – in the form of food. That’s why I chose Chaat as my cookbook of the week. This is a gorgeous cookbook that explores the bold, flavourful, casual yet charming street food of India – and it’s just what the doctor ordered.
A little about the book
The chaat was written by Maneet Chauhan and Jodi Eddy and published in 2020. Instead of recipes that have already received a lot of screen time among Western audiences – such as chicken tikka masala or butter chicken – the authors are focusing on chaat, snacks and everyday dishes served on the streets. kiosks and vendors in India. These dishes offer flavor, color, and texture, but may not be on the menu at your local Indian restaurant.
Rather than organizing the book by dish or famous ingredient, Chauhan and Eddy take you on a winding trail of snacks and dishes across Indian regions. You start by flicking through recipes from the North, with dishes from cities like New Delhi and Srinagar, then move West with Jaipur, Goa and others, moving further through the South and ending in the East. Each chapter and recipe begins with a story from Manit’s life or her personal connection to the mouth-watering recipe at hand. It also includes cultural notes about vendors, where a particular dish is typically found, and how it is traditionally prepared.
Great cookbook if you want to get big bang for your buck.
There are very few recipes in this book that I would call “simple.” Most ingredient lists have more than seven ingredients, many have multiple parts—like filling and dough—and there are likely ingredients you’ll have to purchase at an Asian market. This will not deter the right candidate. After all, Indian food is like an orchestra: it is complex and involves multiple players. (Especially the chaat, which is a fireworks display of colorful ingredients.) That’s the beauty of these recipes; Don’t try to simplify the music.
There are plenty of “five-ingredient recipe” cookbooks out there with pretty good dishes, but don’t be afraid to make them this winter. Yes, there are recipes in Chaat that require more preparation, but you get what you give. This is the perfect cookbook for the person who is happy to use long ingredient lists and multi-part cooking processes because the payoff is incredible .
Recipes You Can Expect
The cookbook features drinks, snacks and small portions of roadside food, but many of these dishes can serve as a complete meal for several people. The authors wrote recipes for four servings.
If you know anything about Indian cooking, you know about the warming spices, bright fresh flavors and creamy texture. Recipes that look like a confetti explosion, like bhel puri, or snacks that have no comparison (in my opinion), like idli, bring me special joy. In this cookbook you will find fried snacks, sweet puddings, tart and refreshing drinks, chutneys and at least seven different types of bread.
The side margins of each recipe include a list of ingredients, but be sure to check the side margin of the facing page as well. If the ingredient list is particularly long, the rest can be found there. The method usually consists of two to five paragraphs, with notes on how to store it, if possible. You can create a recipe with a side dish section. I believe that side dishes are often used as additional garnish in Western cuisine, but that is not the case here. Resist the temptation to skip these points in an attempt to make the recipe “simple.” Think of it more as the final step in preparing a dish.
The dish I cooked this week
As I said, I caught a cold this week. I usually make Thai jok (a comforting Thai breakfast porridge) when I’m sick, but I figured some eggs might be good for me. The Rose omelette in the book looked warm and filling with a brick red tomato sauce – that was the call. Surprisingly, this omelette comes from the Goa region, where a good friend of mine lives. A friend with whom I just went on holiday to Scandinavia, where I caught a cold. Life is funny sometimes.
This dish is a two-part wonder. I actually looked at my cutting board with chopped onions, chili peppers and tomatoes and thought, “How is this going to become that?” But that’s how it was, and I have another roz (tomato sauce) that can be used tomorrow.
The sauce is made by frying onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste and spices with coconut oil until it turns into a thick, savory sauce. Then you make the omelette; A simple omelette with roasted chilies and onions that doesn’t require much preparation. I simply sauced the egg, topped it with chopped raw onions, tomatoes, remaining pepper slices and a squeeze of lime.
I can only describe the sauce as juicy. It was very tasty using coconut oil (thanks to the tropical beach life of Goa) and provided warmth. There’s a spice to it that’s neither aggressive nor shy. The color of the sauce had me expecting the flavor to be overwhelming, but it was a surprisingly bland foil for the eggs. The omelette, although simple, had so much more to say. The lightly roasted chilies in the omelette were hot and spicy, which actually felt good for my sinuses. Then the velvety sauce swooped in and took away the crunch of the chili. For a sobbing, sullen food writer, it was the sweetest way to start the day.
Even though this recipe was a two-part recipe, it was easy to make once I cut up the vegetables. I’m looking forward to making the same breakfast tomorrow (with leftover sauce) and chatting more in the coming weeks.
How to buy
Of course, Chaat can be ordered online , but if you’re browsing at your local bookstore in real life, check it out there. It has a stunning cover, making it a perfect candidate for a gift. In fact, after you give it away, it might be a good idea to plan a date with the lucky recipient. Just to give them a reason to use it because you’re so generous.