K K’s Saviruchi

Chat:

“Chat” – an assorted savory snacks typically served at every road side tracks from big outlets to small carts. Initially, Chats were known as the street food in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and North Indian States. But now has found a place in the upscale Indian restaurants, weddings and occasions.

Chats are Indian snacks and appetizers. They found widely throughout India at street stands, casual restaurants, and parties. Chat is generally flavourful, easy to eat with the hands, and incredibly varied with options for everyone from vegans to devout Hindus.

Chat is a Hindi word which means “to taste,” and most varieties chats are small dishes. People can combine multiple dishes to create a chat meal, or simply eat one as a snack. Chats take advantage of the rich library of spices in the Indian kitchen, ranging from delicately spiced puffed crisp breads known as puris to extremely spicy parathas. Stuffed breads which may be filled with anything from potatoes and other vegetables.

Like Indian cuisine in general, chat is quite diverse. Many regions of India have specific chat specialties which are hard to find anywhere else, and some chat is limited to distinctive districts within Indian cities or provinces. A typical chat stand serves its chats on disposable plates or banana leaves, or wrapped in paper for convenience.

Many chats are deep-fried, like pakoras and samosas, and they may be sweet or savory. They are designed as finger food, and eating chat can be a noisy, messy experience. Many chats are self-contained, like stuffed breads, while others come with a side of soft bread which is used to scoop up the chat. A variety of dipping sauces like yogurt, raita and spicy ground chili dips are served, along with relishes and various garnishes.

A typical chat stand in India may specialize in only one or two items which are prepared fresh to order. Larger establishments such as sit down eateries may have a range of chats to offer, along with traditional Indian drinks like lassi. Chat can also be made at home, either as a standalone meal of mixed chats or in the form of appetizers for a larger Indian meal.

The original Chat is a mixture of potato pieces, crispy fried bread, gram bean and spices. Other popular Chat varieties include the Aloo ki Tikkis (mashed potatoes garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices and dash of curd), Bhel puri, Dahi puri, Pani puri, Dahi vada, Papdi Chat, Fruit chat and Sev puri. The common elements for preparing the Chats are Yoghurt or dahi, chopped onion, coriander, sev (small dried yellow noodles) and Chat masala.

Chat masala is a mix of spices consisting of amchur (dried mango powder), cumin seeds, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, fennel seeds, black pepper and red pepper. The prerequisite for a tasty and tangy Chat is the Chat masala. Black salt, also commonly known as Kala namak is one of the main ingredients in this spice blend. Black salt has a distinctive taste, flavour and is difficult to duplicate. It is high in minerals.

Bhel puri is one of the best consumed chat. It is prepared with puffed rice, boiled mashed potatoes and a tangy tamarind sauce. There are many variants of Bhelpuri like:

• Sev puri – a mixture of Bhel puri, Chutney, papdi and sev
• Dahi puri – mixture of bhelpuri, chutney, papdi, savored with dahi (yoghurt)
• Sev papdi chat – similar to sevpuri, but prepared with 2 to 3 types of chutney, popatoes and channa masala

Different chutneys impart a sweet or spicy flavor and are vital to most of the Chat recipes. There are two popular chutneys used, a dark purple sweet one made mainly of dates and tamarind, and green spicy chutney made of coriander leaves and green chillies.

Chats are popularly eaten at snack time and are also a light food especially liked by the children for their spicy, tangy flavor.

Ice – cream:

Eating ice cream is great fun! All the different ice cream options available make it even more exciting. There is a type of ice cream to suit each and every taste bud and life style.

Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners. In some cases, artificial flavourings and colourings are used in addition to (or in replacement of) the natural ingredients. This mixture is stirred slowly while cooling to prevent large ice crystals from forming; the result is a smoothly textured ice cream.

The meaning of the term ice cream varies from one country to another. Terms like frozen custard, frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato and others are used to distinguish different varieties and styles. Ice cream recipes first appear in 18th century England and America.

The most common type of ice cream can be considered "regular." This is just your everyday ice cream found at the grocery store or made at home. However, there is a lot of variety when it comes to regular ice cream so everyone is sure to find one they like.

A special type of ice cream is soft-serve. This is commonly found at concession stands and ice cream shops. The reason it is called "soft-serve" is because it is stored in a way that gives it a softer consistency. When it is ready to be served, it is easily squirted out into a cone or a cup.

Another specialty ice cream is gelato. Gelato is a famous, Italian way to make ice cream. It usually has a very creamy texture and is mixed with fruit flavoring. Many people swear that gelato is a premium ice cream unlike any other!

There are also several gourmet ice creams that are made with superior ingredients. These are often sold in specialty ice cream shops and also carry specialty price tags. Many fine dining restaurants may have these connoisseur ice creams available for discerning taste buds.

Most ice cream is purchased by the consumer on basis of flavour and ingredients. There are many different flavours of ice cream manufactured.

• Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Chocolate Chip
• Butter Pecan
• Strawberry
• Cookies and cream
• Rocky Road
• Cookie Dough
• Cherry Vanilla
• Coffee

Juices:

The entire world seems to currently be stuck in a health craze, with people trying to improve their diets by eating only healthy foods, exercising and just living an all around healthy and active lifestyle.

Juice is the liquid that is naturally contained in fruit or vegetable tissue. Juice is prepared by mechanically squeezing or macerating fruit or vegetable flesh without the application of heat or solvents. For example, orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of orange tree. Juice may be prepared in the home from fresh fruit and vegetables using a variety of hand or electric juicers. Juice is one of the most popular drinks to go with breakfast in the morning. Juices are often consumed for their perceived health benefits.

There is a unique combination of vitamins, minerals and other healthy substances in each juice. You just need to know what juice to choose to treat your health problems.

Some popular juices include apple, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, tomato, passion fruit, mango, carrot, grape, cherry, cranberry, guava, and pomegranate. It has become increasingly popular to combine a variety of fruits into single juice drinks.