Indian Appetizer
I can’t thank my cousin Darshan enough for his recommendation. The food, the atmosphere, and the Chef’s humble and friendly attitude were inspirational. The drinks and appetizers were so unique compared to the Indian dishes we’re used to while dining out. Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry One dish that resonated with all of us was the banana chat which was an incredible blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. We would have never tried it if it was not recommended. While we all love to experiment with food we generally don’t like bananas in any form mixed into our meals. When the appetizers arrived we were surprised to see the bananas grilled and perfectly stacked on the sides. With hesitation we took one bite and we were hooked. My husband and I couldn’t stop digging into the amazing flavors! With a few bites remaining, I took a snap so I could recreate it as soon as we got back. Here is my attempt to make the banana avocado chaat as inspired by restaurant Rasika in Washington D.C.
What Is Chaat?
Chaat is a sweet and spicy food sold on street/food carts all across India. It is a very aromatic dish and how it’s made varies based on which part of the country you are in at the time. The recipes might differ, but they all have a few things in common - they usually spicy, sweet, tangy, and have a little crunch.
Origins
Chaat is an ancient recipe, with the first recorded mention of it in the Manasollasa, a 12-century Sanskirt encyclopedia. It originated in northern India as spicy fried snacks. Pav bhaji (which is a bread/bun with cooked vegetables) originated in Mumbai. Today, there are lots of different flavors and creative ways people make them. They sell them on food trucks and food carts all around the country.
Variations
There are so many different types of chaat that I could write an entirely new post about them. All of them share the same types of ingredients:
Base - Normally a carb, it can be samosa, puffed rice, or fried flour cracker. Sauce - Most of the time it’s some form of chutney. Others use plain yogurt. Crunch - Some will have sev (spicy fried potato bits) or masala chana (fried chickpeas) Vegetable - This varies completely based on the recipe Umami - Most chaat will have some masala spice on it
Ingredients
When I ate at Rasika Indian restaurant in Washington D.C, I was surprised by this chaat recipe. It used bananas as the base and avocados as the vegetable. I had never tried anything like it before and I knew I had to recreate it. The tamarind chutney is the perfect spice to balance the sweet taste of the banana. The cumin and red chili powder bring even more heat to the dish. Even though chaat usually has a crunchiness to it, this recipe leaves that out. I loved the smooth texture of the banana and avocado. Surprisingly, when you grill the bananas, they taste even sweeter and have a crispier exterior too.
More Appetizer Ideas
If you enjoyed this banana avocado chaat, here are some more snacks and appetizer recipes that you should make next!
Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken Paneer Tika Air Fryer Cauliflower Buffalo Wings Air Fryer Fish Sticks Aloo Chaat in Phyllo Cups
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Recipe
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