Ingredients and substitutes for Indian-Style Chaat Nachos
Tortilla Chips - Tortilla chips are the salty and crunchy vehicle for the toppings. Choose your favorite variety that is also sturdy enough to hold the yummy goodness. Red Onion and Tomatoes - Fresh finely cut veggies are what give these nachos brightness. You can add even more veggies like bell peppers or sauteed mushrooms if you want to amp up your veggie content. Chickpeas - Canned chickpeas are a great way to get protein in your chaat but also a nice soft and creamy legume that contrasts well with the crunchy chips. You can alternatively use your favorite bean of choice. You can easily add cooked meat to this dish like steak, chicken, or ground pork to make it extra succulent. Chaat Masala - Chaat masala is a lip-smacking sour, sweet, tangy powder that just gives it that extra oomph. Cheese - I typically use pre-shredded Mexican cheese from the store which melts so perfectly. Other cheese varieties that work well for this recipe are mild cheddar, Monterey jack, and pepper jack. Spicy Cilantro-Mint Chutney - The spicy cilantro-mint chutney gives an herbaceous kick to the chaat that is so similar to the freshness you get from a traditional Mexican salsa. It is fresh, herbaceous, and punchy. You can easily make my recipe for spicy cilantro mint chutney at home or buy it online. Sweet and Sour Tamarind-Date Chutney - This chutney is one of my favorites. It is a thick sauce that is sweet and sour and provides a nice contrast to the spicy mint chutney. It is a must-have if you are making chaat style Indian nachos.
Tips for making nachos for a party
These Indian nachos with melty cheese are a great vegetarian appetizer to serve at a family gathering and they are a smash hit at Super Bowl parties. Here some tips I have for making them for a large crowd:
Cut and prep veggies beforehand - Cutting veggies on the day of a party takes time so I like to cut and store my veggies the day before. Make or buy sauces ahead of time - You can make both of these up to a month before the party. You can checkout the recipe for the cilantro mint green chutney here. Make nachos in batches - Make smaller sheet trays of nachos rather than a big tray. This allows you to pop a new tray into the oven once the old tray is done so you always have crispy nachos with hot melty cheese on top. Divide nacho tray into sections based on your guests preferences - Sometimes guests have certain dietary preferences like no raw onions or no cilantro. So have your guests help out and make a section of the sheet tray customized for them! It will make your guests feel super special and will make this dish even more interactive. Use one layer of tortilla chips - I hate nachos that don’t have enough cheese melted on or toppings. This is why I add a layer of chips, a bit of cheese to act as glue, other toppings, and another layer of cheese on top. It’s my favorite way to compose nachos. Keep chutneys on the side for guests to layer more on - Adding too much chutney to nachos can make them soggy real quick. So I always drizzle a bit on and keep some of each type of chutney on the side for guests to customize.
Where Can I Get Chaat Masala?
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