This samosa chaat recipe is the bright and colorful snack platter you never knew you needed. It’s loaded with chickpea curry, chutneys, potato samosas, and lots of spices for the creamiest, spiciest, crunchiest bite you can imagine.
Easy Homemade Samosa Chaat
If you’ve ever wondered what an Indian spice market would look like, you’ve got to try this colorful Indian samosa chaat. Packed with popular street food items like curry and samosas, every bite is an explosion of flavor and texture.
Drizzled with plain yogurt for creaminess, this samosa chaat also gets a bit of freshness and lightness to balance the snack platter from the chutneys it’s topped with. Between the mint, spicy Kashmiri chilis and tamarind-date chutney, there’s a perfect combination of herbiness, heat, and sweetness.
Piled to create a beautiful mountain of chickpeas, samosas, and garam masala, digging into this homemade samosa chaat is as authentic as any you’d find in the streets of Delhi. Best of all, you don’t have to leave your kitchen. With some planning, you can throw it together even quicker than you can imagine.
What is Samosa Chaat?
Samosa chaat is a northern Indian street food packed with curry, chutneys, and samosas. It’s a snack-like platter that definitely requires a spoon to help you pick up all the components.
The chickpea curry (or chole) can be spicy, but it’s not a requirement. It’s used as a base for the dish and everything else is piled on top. Different chutneys add fruitiness, creaminess, and spice. Finally, the samosas tie everything together with their crispy dough and tender fillings.
Recipe Ingredients
Prepping ahead is key for this authentic recipe. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.
To Make the Mint Chutney
- Unsweetened plain yogurt
- Ground cumin
- Garam masala – Chaat masala is a great substitute.
- Fresh mint leaves – Don’t add the stems.
- Fresh coriander
- Green chili
- Garlic – Feel free to substitute it for 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
- Fresh ginger – You can add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
- Salt
For the Spicy Chutney
- Kashmiri red chilis – dried chile de árbol works too. You will also need water, garlic, and salt.
To Make the Tamarind Chutney
- Unsweetened guava paste – If it’s sweetened, blend the chutney without the date. Taste it for sweetness. It might not need the Medjool date at all.
- Water
- Unsweetened tamarind paste – You can make your own by removing the shells from 1 1/4 cups of the dried tamarind fruit. Remove the seeds too. Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 2-3 hours or until completely softened. Blend them with 1-2 tablespoons of water. Strain the mixture.
- Medjool date
For the Chickpea Chole
- Ghee
- Caraway seeds
- Cumin seeds – Ground cumin works too. Add it to taste, but I recommend 1/2 teaspoon.
- White onion – Yellow onion is a good substitute.
- Ground mustard – Don’t use yellow mustard for this.
- Ground ginger, Garlic powder, Ground turmeric, Ground Coriander
- Garam masala – You can use chaat masala instead.
- Chili powder – Leave this out if you’re not a fan of heat.
- Tomato puree and Tomato paste
- Canned chickpeas
- Low-sodium veggie stock – Chicken broth is a good substitute.
To Make the Samosa Chaat
- Chickpea chole
- Unsweetened plain yogurt
- Aloo samosas – These are spiced potato samosas, 👈 which I have a great recipe for. However, feel free to use your favorite.
- Garam masala, Chili powder, Mint chutney, Spicy chutney, Tamarind chutney, and fresh cilantro.
How to Make Samosa Chaat
Organization is key. It’s not hard to make, you just have to plan it out so you have enough time to make all the chutneys, curry, samosas, and then put it all together.
For the Chutneys
- Make the mint chutney. Add all the ingredients to the blender and process until you get a smooth mixture. Season with salt to taste. Set it aside.
- Make the spicy chutney. Place the dry chilis in a medium bowl. Cover them with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes or until softened. Strain them and add them to the blender. Add the garlic and 1/4 cup water. Process everything until you get a smooth mixture. Set it aside.
- Make the tamarind chutney. Add everything to the blender and process it until you get a smooth mixture. Season with salt to taste. Set it aside.
Making the Chickpea Curry
- Make the curry. Melt the ghee in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the caraway and cumin seeds. Let them cook for 2 minutes. Stir constantly so they don’t burn. Add the onion. Stir well and let it cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the spices. Add the ground mustard, ground ginger, garlic powder, turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala, and chili powder. Mix to combine.
- Add the chickpeas. Stir in the tomato puree and tomato paste. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and pour in the veggie broth. Stir well. Let the mixture simmer for 6-7 minutes or until it begins to simmer.
- Mash the chickpeas. Use a potato masher to mash some of the chickpeas in the pot. This should be done to taste. The more you mash, the thicker your chole will be. The rest of the chickpeas should be left whole. Simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Remove the chole from the heat and set it aside.
To Assemble the Samosa Chaat
- Assemble the chaat. Add a cup or two of chickpea chole to a rimmed plate or a small bowl. Drizzle the yogurt on top. Crumble the samosas and place them on top of the yogurt. Sprinkle everything with garam masala and chili powder. Drizzle the chutneys to taste. Add chopped cilantro. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Tips and Variations
Don’t forget to go through these tips and variations for the best possible Indian samosa chaat.
- Save the chutney. Refrigerate the leftover chutneys in an airtight container or jar for up to 4 days. Use them to add more flavor to your Indian recipes.
- Use store-bought. While homemade chutney is always better and healthier, sometimes it’s not very convenient to make it when you’re in a hurry. Use high-quality store-bought chutneys instead.
- Use a combination of spices. Check the “What You’ll Need” section for possible substitutes for whole and ground spices. This way you don’t have to worry about buying more stuff than necessary.
- Change the curry. Using your favorite veggie curry as a base will give this recipe some new life.
- Add pomegranate. Adding 2-3 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds can add wonderful fruitiness to your snack.
How Do You Eat Indian Samosa Chaat?
It’s definitely not finger food, but it’s still filled with a munchies-like vibe due to all the different components there are to it. Once assembled, enjoy large spoonfuls— getting a bit of the chutneys, chole, and samosas in every bite. You can also enjoy it with naan. This suggestion is less traditional, but it’s every bit as delicious.
Can This Be Prepared In Advance?
- Yes! Since there are different components to this recipe, you can make them all in advance. The chutneys can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, the chickpea curry for 5 days, and the samosas for 5 days. When you’re ready to make it, just throw everything together and enjoy.
More Indian Recipes
- Butter Chicken
- Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)
- Vegetable Biryani Rice
- Sheet Pan Tandoori Chicken
- Curry-Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs
ENJOY!
Samosa Chaat
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala, or chaat masala
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- ¾ cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chopped green chili, or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, or use 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, or use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- salt, to taste
- 7 dry Kashmiri red chilis, seeded and stemmed
- hot water, for soaking
- 6 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup water
- salt, to taste
- 1 cup unsweetened guava paste
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup unsweetened tamarind paste
- 1 Medjool date, pitted
- salt, to taste
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 small white or yellow onion, diced
- ⅛ teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon chili powder, optional
- ¼ cup tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- salt, to taste
- prepared chickpea curry
- ¼ cup unsweetened plain yogurt
- 2 to 3 prepared samosas, crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- mint chutney, to taste
- spicy chutney, to taste
- tamarind chutney, to taste
- chopped cilantro, to taste
Instructions
- Make the mint chutney by adding all the mint chutney ingredients to the blender and process until you get a smooth mixture. Season with salt to taste. Set it aside.
- Make the spicy chutney by placing the dry chilis in a medium bowl. Cover them with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes or until softened. Strain them and add them to a blender. Add the garlic and 1/4 cup water. Process everything until you get a smooth mixture. Set it aside.
- Make the tamarind chutney by adding all the ingredients for the tamarind chutney to the blender and process it until you get a smooth mixture. Season with salt to taste. Set it aside.
- For the curry or chole, melt the ghee in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the caraway and cumin seeds. Let them cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion. Stir well and let it cook for 4 minutes or until softened.
- Add the ground mustard, ground ginger, garlic powder, turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala, and chili powder. Mix to combine.
- Stir in the tomato puree and tomato paste. Let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and pour in the veggie broth. Stir well. Let the mixture simmer for 6 to 7 minutes or until softened.
- Use a potato masher to mash some of the chickpeas in the pot. Simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Remove the chole from the heat and set it aside.
- Add 1 cup of chickpea chole to a rimmed plate or a small bowl. Drizzle the yogurt on top. Crumble the samosas and place them on top of the yogurt. Sprinkle everything with garam masala and chili powder. Drizzle with the chutneys to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Dried red chilis: If you can’t find any, you can use crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- Green chilis: These are small, sometimes called Thai green chiles. You can substitute it with a small can of green chiles – using about one tablespoon.
- Guava paste: You can get this at any well-stocked grocery store or Amazon.
- I have linked some of the ingredients to Amazon, where I get almost all of my spices.
- You can refrigerate the leftover chutneys in an airtight container or jar for up to 4 days.
- Use store-bought. While homemade chutneys are great, sometimes it’s not very convenient to make them when you’re in a hurry. Use high-quality store-bought chutneys instead.
- Change the curry. If you have leftover curry sitting around, use that instead of making a new curry with the chickpeas.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
