For the mint chutney: ¼ cup of curd A bundle of mint leaves A bundle of coriander leaves 1 small onion 1 raw mango 5-6 garlic cloves
For the imli chutney 20 gms tamarind 2-3 stone-sized pieces of jaggery 1 tsp sesame seeds
For the tikki 2 boiled potatoes 1 piece multi-grain bread ½ tsp ginger paste Handful of boiled chana daal 1 tbsp olive oil Salt to taste Red chilli powder to taste Dhaniya powder to taste
For the dressing ½ cup of curd Handful of boiled white chana sprouts Handful of sprouts ½ onion, finely chopped 1 tsp finely-chopped coriander leaves Handful of pomegranate arils ½ tsp chaat masala
Preparation 1. Let’s start with the chutneys. Wash and soak the tamarind in warm water for a few minutes and strain the water into a pan using a sieve. Keep stirring the leftover tamarind pulp on the sieve until there’s only fibre left. Now, set this pan on to stove and let the mixture boil on high heat.
2. After, say, a boil or two, add jaggery pieces to it and let them boil together until they form a thick but flowy paste. Finally, add the sesame seeds, mix well, and let the mixture cool down. Keep the imli chutney aside.
3. For the mint chutney, add chopped mint leaves, chopped onion, coriander leaves, garlic cloves, raw mango pulp, ¼ cup curd, lemon juice, salt, and red chilli powder in a mixer grinder. Grind the ingredients until you achieve the desired consistency. Transfer the mint chutney to a container and keep it aside.
4. For the tikki, take the peeled boiled potatoes, piece of bread (you’ll need to soak it in water for a minute or two beforehand), boiled chana daal, salt, dhaniya powder, red-chilli powder and mash them all together.
5. Divide this mixture into small balls. Flatten each ball with your hand, shape it into a tikki, and set it aside.
6. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the tikkis until they’re crispy and brown.
7. To assemble the chaat, place the tikkis on a plate, spread the curd on them liberally, add both the chutneys, and garnish with boiled chana and sprouts, some finely-chopped onion, and pomegranate arils. Lastly, sprinkle chaat masala on top. And your healthy tikki chaat is ready.
What makes this tikki chaat healthy? With hardly 20 calories from the mint and imly chutney each, around a 100 calories from the tikki, and another 80 calories from the boiled chana, sprouts, and pomegranate–this savoury dish won’t cost you more than 200 calories and fulfil your cravings too.
Not to mention, the tikki isn’t deep-fried and sprouts and lentils bring fibre and protein to the mix–making this a wholesome snack.