Idli Chaat

Pan-fried idli pieces dressed with green chutney, tamarind chutney, sev and chaat masala - South India's leftover idli meets North India's chaat.

Pan-Indian fusion - chaat counter

Image: Veg Recipes of India - Idli Chaat · Blog photo

Idli Chaat is South India sliding gracefully into North Indian street food. Bite-sized pieces of leftover idli are pan-fried until golden, then dressed with the standard chaat counter trinity: green chutney, tamarind chutney, sev, plus chopped onion, a sprinkle of chaat masala, and a generous flourish of fresh coriander.

The whole assembly works for as long as you can eat it - about three minutes before the chutneys soften the fried crust. Plate, dress, eat. Don't wait.

The Recipe

Yield · 3 servings

Effort profile

Soaknone

Fermentnone

Steamnone (uses leftover idlis)

Steps8

Each axis is scaled against the longest example in the archive.

Ingredients

Main

9–10 leftover idlis, bite-sized pieces
1–2 tbsp oil for pan-frying
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped (optional)
3–4 tbsp yogurt (optional)
3 tbsp green / mint-coriander chutney
3 tbsp tamarind chutney
3 tbsp boondi (optional)
2–3 tbsp thin sev
¼–½ tsp red chilli powder
½–1 tsp chaat masala
½ tsp roasted cumin powder
Black salt or regular salt to taste
2–3 tbsp coriander, chopped

Method

1.
Pan-fry the idli pieces in oil over medium heat until golden and crisp on all sides; drain.
2.
Divide between plates.
3.
Top with chopped onion (and tomato if using).
4.
Add a layer of yogurt if you like a softer chaat.
5.
Drizzle the green chutney and the tamarind chutney generously.
6.
Sprinkle sev, boondi, chaat masala, cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt.
7.
Garnish with fresh coriander.
8.
Serve immediately - the idlis lose their crunch fast.

Serve with

eaten immediately, on a plate, with a small spoon

Notes

Assemble at the table - once dressed, the chutneys soften the fried idli within minutes. A squeeze of lemon at the end keeps everything bright.

Adapted from vegrecipesofindia.com.