There are few things we love more than a recipe that feels both familiar and a little bit revelatory—the kind that makes you wonder why you hadn’t thought of it sooner. This nacho chaat does exactly that, taking a humble, yet comforting, plate of nachos and giving it a vibrant, street-food-inspired spin that feels perfect for casual entertaining.

It’s playful and built for sharing, with layers of flavour that reward every scoop and crunch. Best of all, this is a delicious and shareable dish that you can whip up real quick, and one that easily scales up if you've got a bunch of pals coming over for the evening.

The recipe comes from Indian Food Is Easy by Vijaya Selvaraju. The food personality's first cookbook is one that truly excels at making Indian home cooking approachable without ever dulling any of its shine.

Bringing together two of my favourite things—nachos and chaat—this dish is a must when hosting game day...Spicy, savoury, creamy, sweet, crunchy, and smooth—each bite is an adventure," explains Vijaya Selvaraju in the introduction to this easy-peasy recipe in Indian Food Is Easy.

4-Ingredient Tamarind Chutney

(Makes 1½ cups)

Sweet, tangy, savoury, and spicy, this tamarind chutney is used as an accompaniment for many Indian snack dishes. The use of a blender makes the preparation of this chutney super simple.

Ingredients

¼ cup seedless tamarind pulp
1½ cups boiling water, divided
1 cup finely chopped or powdered jaggery (or ¾ cup brown sugar)
3 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
Kosher salt

Method

Add the tamarind to a small bowl and top with ½ cup of the boiling water. Soak for 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup boiling water and blend again.

Strain the mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve, discarding any pulp or fibers left behind.

Transfer the strained tamarind juice to a small saucepan and add the jaggery, cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the chutney takes on a deep brown color and thickens slightly. Transfer to a container and cool completely.

Serve with your favorite Indian snacks or appetizers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

 

Nacho Chaat with 4-Ingredient Tamarind Chutney

Ingredients

1 large russet potato
2½ Tbsp chaat masala, divided
1½ tsp cayenne chili powder, divided
Juice of ½ lemon
Kosher salt
¾ cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp sugar
4 cups tortilla chips
⅓ cup 4-Ingredient Tamarind Chutney (recipe below)
⅓ cup mint coriander chutney
½ cup finely diced red onion
¼ cup finely diced cucumber
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
1 thinly sliced jalapeño pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

Method

Place the potato in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potato is fork tender.

Drain the potato and allow it to cool until it’s easy to handle, then peel and chop into small cubes.

In a large bowl, mix the potatoes with 2 Tbsp chaat masala, 1 tsp chili powder, the lemon juice, and salt to taste, until well coated.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and sugar.

To assemble, spread the tortilla chips on a large serving plate. Distribute the spiced potatoes evenly over the chips, and top with the sweetened yogurt.

Drizzle the tamarind chutney and mint chutney overtop, and garnish with the red onion, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, jalapeño, and fresh coriander.

Lastly, sprinkle on the remaining ½ Tbsp chaat masala and ½ tsp chili powder.