Samosa Chaat

A savory street style chaat made from samosas, chole, chutneys and toppings; Samosa Chaat is delicious yet super easy to make.

Quick to put together in under 15 minutes; this is perfect for parties, for potluck or as a snack!

Chaats are such an integral cuisine category in India. Every state and region has their own version and uses varied ingredients. From Pani Puri and Bhel Puri to Dahi Vada and Kachori Chaat; these are amazing.

Full of colors, textures and flavors; Chaats are lip smacking and work so well as an appetizer, snack or even a complete meal.

These start with a base like kurmura, puri, samosa etc. Then there are add-ins like chopped vegetables, crunchy sev, chivda, chole, ragda to name a few. Also, we add some chutneys and finally top off the chaat with cilantro and chaat masala.

They are especially easy to put together once you have the three: spicy cilantro chutney , sweet dates tamarind chutney and spicy garlic chutney ready in the freezer.

Jump to:

• What is Samosa
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• How to make the add-ins
• More Chaat Recipes
• Samosa Chaat

What is Samosa

A favorite Indian recipe, samosa is a triangular shaped pastry filled with spiced potatoes with or without peas and other vegetables. These are generally deep fried but often air fried or baked.

Samosa is a great snack or appetizer by itself but also popular to convert to other recipes. Samosa sandwich, sizzler, chaat and even burgers are popular to make. They are now often seen on the streets of Mumbai and taste so good.

Samosa is a perfect candidate for chaats. The outer covering is crisp, just like we want in any chaat. The filling is smooth, spicy and savory. Again, this is perfect to make a chaat that is filling and yummy.

Why this recipe works

• It is a delicious recipe full of flavors and textures.
• Samosa Chaat is easy to make at home and comes together quickly once you have the elements ready.
• It works great for parties as a snack or appetizer.
• This is tangy, spicy, sweet and yet savory.
• It has layers of samosa, chole and add-ins making it filling.
• We can make the elements ahead of time and assemble right before serving.
• It is super customizable in what all goes into it.
• The same recipe can be modified to include other pulses instead of chole too.
• It is a street style recipe that everyone loves!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Samosa: The key ingredient for this recipe, samosa can be store bought or homemade. I often use pre-made samosas from the frozen aisle and bake or air fry till crisp and golden brown. Use regular or mini samosas. Ensure they are warm when making the chaat.
• Chole: The recipe calls for chole or chana masala. Whether you are making it specially for the recipe or using up leftovers, chole does play a crucial part in the taste. The recipe I use for chole is either this stove-top chole or this instant pot chole. 
• Yogurt: Contrast to the spicy chole and samosa is the cooling yogurt in the recipe. While plain yogurt or Greek yogurt works great for the recipe, I like to sweeten and season mine to add some extra flavor. It is best to have chilled yogurt for the recipe.
• Chutneys: As the recipe makes a chaat, chutney plays an important role in the ingredients. I like to use some spicy cilantro chutney and some sweet dates tamarind chutney in the recipe. If you like, adding some spicy garlic chutney is a great option too. 
• Add-ins: I like to add some diced onions and tomatoes for crunch, some chaat masala for flavor and some sev for texture. While these can be left out or substituted with other ingredients, they do make the chaat amazing. Moreover, adding some pomegranate arils or broken mathri works well too.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- In a bowl mix together yogurt, rock salt, sugar and cumin powder. Whisk till smooth and set aside.

2- In a plate roughly break the samosas. I used 3 medium samosas per serving. 

3- Add 1 cup hot Amritsari chole to each plate. 

4- Add ⅓ cup prepared yogurt to the plates.

5- Divide the sweet dates tamarind and spicy cilantro chutney in the three servings. 

6- Add tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, chaat masala and thin sev. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Samosa: Pick the samosas that you enjoy for the recipe. The ones with potato filling are most popular but the ones with other fillings can be used too. I refrain from getting those with cheese as they do not generally work well for chaat. Both store bought and homemade ones work.
• Chole: Chole is an essential element of the recipe. Make sure they are not super runny as that will make the chaat soggy in minutes. I often use leftover chole with frozen samosas to make this chaat.
• Making it Vegan: To make the recipe Vegan we need three things; plant based yogurt, chole made in oil and samosas that are Vegan friendly i.e. fried in oil and instead of ghee. Then the recipe can be made Vegan.
• Making it ahead of time: The recipe is great to make ahead of time. To do so, simply prepare the chole and chutneys ahead of time. Also, chop the vegetables and prepare the seasoned yogurt. To assemble, simply heat up samosa and chole and proceed.

Serving Suggestions

The recipe works well for a small portion or for a party. For a party, simply prepare everything and set it as a DIY station. Let each guest add the samosas, chole and seasoned yogurt. They can add the toppings and chutneys and enjoy the treat.

I often use the recipe to make use of leftover chole. I have a pack of frozen samosas and all the chutneys in my freezer all the time. So making it is only a matter of minutes!

Recipe FAQs

How to make the add-ins

Along with samosa we need a handful of ingredients. Here are the recipes to make them at home.

More Chaat Recipes

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