Indian street food
What is chaat?
Chaat is a family of Indian snacks built from a crisp or starchy base, dressed with yogurt, chutneys and spices, and topped with something crunchy. Every bite is sweet, sour, spicy and cool at once.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 2 min read
Base
Crisp or starchy
Dressing
Yogurt, chutneys
Finish
Chaat masala, sev
Eaten
Fresh, right away
01
The name
Chaat comes from a Hindi word associated with licking, which is a good description of how people eat it: fast, messy and wanting more. It refers to a style of snack rather than one dish.
02
The building blocks
Almost every chaat is assembled from the same few parts, arranged differently:
- A base: fried dough, papdi, puri, a samosa, a potato patty or puffed rice.
- Something soft: boiled potato, chickpeas or lentil dumplings.
- Chutneys: sweet tamarind and spicy green mint-coriander.
- Yogurt: for coolness and creaminess.
- Toppings: onion, sev, pomegranate and a dusting of chaat masala.
03
Why it works
Chaat plays off contrast. The base is crisp while the potato is soft, the yogurt is cool while the green chutney is hot, and the tamarind is sweet while the masala is sour. Nothing dominates, and the mix is what makes it addictive.
04
Popular types
A quick tour of the classics:
- Samosa chaat: a crushed samosa topped with chutneys, yogurt and onions.
- Aloo tikki chaat: crisp potato patties dressed the same way.
- Dahi bhalla papdi: soft lentil dumplings in yogurt with crisp papdi.
- Pani puri and dahi puri: hollow crisp shells filled and eaten in one bite.
05
Chaat at Tapri Chai
Our Chatori Chaat section includes Samosa Chaat ($12.99), Dahi Bhalla Chaat ($12.99), Aloo Tikki Chaat ($12.99), Pani Puri ($9.99) and Dahi Puri ($11.99). They are made to order at 200 Kennevale Dr in Barrhaven, Ottawa, and the kitchen is entirely vegetarian.
Questions, answered.
What does chaat mean?
It is a Hindi word linked to licking, used for a family of tangy, crunchy street snacks.
Is chaat vegetarian?
Traditionally yes. Chaat is built from potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, yogurt and chutneys. Every dish at Tapri Chai is vegetarian.
Is chaat spicy?
It is a mix of sweet, sour and spicy. The heat usually comes from green chutney and chilli powder and can be adjusted.
Is chaat healthy?
It is a street snack, often fried, and is best seen as a treat. Ingredients like yogurt, chickpeas and potatoes are common.
What is the best chaat to try first?
Samosa chaat is an easy starting point, because it combines familiar textures with all the classic chutneys.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.