Innovate
Chaat Attack : Guilt-free and Glorious with a millet makeover
Chaat Attack
5 min read
Posted on 27/05/2024
Hacks, Tips and Tricks
Street Food
Millets
Recipe
Healthy
Quick Summary
Indian street chaats have dazzled our taste buds for decades, but their maida-based fried components often weigh heavy on your health, leaving you with a feeling like you swallowed a balloon. However, this blog will take you on a joyride through the electrifying world of Indian chaats, with a healthy makeover fuelled by mighty millets. From crispy pani puris to savoury aloo tikkis, millets offer nutritious and fibre-packed alternatives without compromising taste. Swap puffed rice for puffed millets in bhel puri or blend lentils with millet flour for guilt-free dahi vadas. It's time to indulge in the irresistible charm of chaat, reimagined with a healthy twist!
Deep Dive
More than the fancy restaurants, the real party takes place on the Indian streets. Here, chaat reigns supreme, with a mind-blowing explosion of textures and flavours in every bite. We're talking crispy, tangy, spicy, and fresh, all tangled up in a flavour bomb that'll have your taste buds doing the Tango.
However, street chaats are often loaded with refined oil and flour, making them calorie-dense and unhealthy for you. This is why we bring to you four of your favourite Indian chaat recipes that use millet as the main ingredient, making it a healthier alternative. Millets come in various forms, such as foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and pearl millet, each offering unique flavour and texture.
This means snacking on them won't send you running on the treadmill. And the best part? There's no downgrade in taste either! So stay with us as we dive into the delicious chaos of chaat, revamped with a touch of millets!
Pani Puri
Pani puri, also known as golgappa or puchka, is the king of street food across the nation. And we want you to have it whenever you want with minimal impact on your tummy. For a healthier twist, try using mini millet puris instead of the traditional fried ones. These thin, crispy puris made from soaked millets and spices offer a nutritious base for the tangy tamarind chutney and a cool, spiced pani that will tantalise your taste buds.
Aloo Tikki
We know you can't resist a perfectly crispy aloo tikki, but what if we told you there's a way to enjoy this classic street food with a healthier twist? Swap out some of the potatoes with cooked and mashed millets, such as foxtail millet or barnyard millet for added texture and instead of deep-frying the tikkis, try baking or grilling them for that beautiful golden brown crust. The result? A lighter, healthier aloo tikki that won't leave you feeling greasy.
Bhel Puri
Craving that irresistible bhel puri crunch? We've got you covered! This beloved street food favourite is getting a healthy upgrade with puffed millets.
Yes, you heard that right! Instead of puffed rice, we're swapping in puffed millets like pearl millet or barnyard millet. It delivers the same delightful crunch you love in bhel puri, but with a bonus of extra nutrition!
Making this millet bhel puri is a breeze. Simply toss your puffed millets with the usual ingredients — chutneys, onions, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of your favourite spices. It'll keep you feeling fuller for longer, making this bhel puri a perfectly satisfying snack.
Dahi Vada
We all love a classic dahi vada — those melt-in-your-mouth lentil fritters swimming in cool, creamy yoghurt. But we are here to ensure it doesn't leave you feeling heavy.
Instead of using only lentils, blend soaked lentils with millet flour to create a nutritious and protein-packed batter. But the healthy upgrade doesn't stop here. This recipe gives you two options for cooking your vadas — deep-frying or using an appe pan. Deep-frying is traditional, but the appe pan allows you to significantly reduce the oil content, making your dahi vada even lighter and guilt-free.
Millet Mania Hits the Streets!
To wrap it all up, we've just shown you four amazing recipes where millets can revolutionise your chaat game. These ancient grains aren't just trendy, they're powerhouses of protein, fibre, and essential nutrients. They can be seamlessly integrated into your favourite chaat recipes for a healthier twist without compromising on flavour in any way.
The real beauty of millets is their versatility. They adapt to different flavours and textures, allowing you to experiment and create healthier versions of your favourite chaats. Plus, with their lower calorie content, you can worry a little less about calories. So bring the welcome wave of millets and watch your chat transform!
blurb
Liked By 0
Save
Share
You may be interested in
You may be in
interested
