Sweet Potato Chaat

Nothing beats a plate of chaat when the temperatures drop and you just want to cozy up indoors with a bowl(or plate) of good food! And for that exact reason, I bring you this sweet potato chaat recipe. Baked sweet potatoes tossed in select spicy sauces and topped with crunchy papdis, delectable pomegranate arils and creamy yoghurt. This chaat is healthy, delicious and super quick to make. It is equally at home on a rainy weekend or for a special dinner party.

There is nothing like a savory snack to satisfy the cravings IMHO and these are some of my favorites including these Savory Lemon Scones with Rosemary, Crispy Corn Chaat, Iyengar Bakery Style Vegetable Puff, Tomato Bread, Spicy Cashews.

Lets Cha(a)t!

Chaat for the uninitiated is a savory street food/snack that will have you licking your fingers. I say that because not only are chaats delicious and hence extremely popular but chaat literally means 'to lick' in Hindi. Although the name chaat might be northern Indian in origin, every part of the country has its own version of local street eats that falls in this chaat category.

This sweet potato based chaat is called shakarkhand(sweet potato) chaat locally. I was inspired to m make this chaat not because I grew up eating it but because I came across it when I was visiting London a few years ago. I loved it so much that I have always wanted to recreate it and here it is!

Chaat typically contains common ingredients like cooked chickpeas, potatoes, paid(fried wheat and semolina crackers), peanuts, sev(fried chickpea noodles) and yoghurt. However what truly makes or breaks chaat are the chutneys or spiced sauces that we mix in to the ingredients.

The 3 main chutneys are

Green Chutney - A zingier chutney with a base of cilantro and mint leaves along with green chilis and spices like cumin and chat masala.

Red Chutney - This is the more savory one made of red chilis, garlic and spices.

Brown(Sweet) Chutney - This one is made from tamarind, jaggery or dates and some spices again.Due to the ingredients, it is sweeter and nicely balances the heat in the green and red chutney.

You can skip the red chutney but the green and red chutney is non negotiable for a good chaat!

What we need for the sweet potato chaat

I have tried to keep this chaat pretty simple and decided to skip onions, sev etc but have listed it as optional in the recipe ingredient list. Below is a list of the major ingredients you will need.

Sweet Potatoes - I used 1 large sweet potato that came to about 1 pound or around 450 gram in weight. Peel the skin and dice to make 1 inch cubes.

Onions - I chose to omit onions since I find it a bit overpowering here but you are free to add some. You can also add shallots in place of onions.

Chickpeas - They add protein, make the chaat more filling and not to mention so delicious. Use freshly cooked or canned which has been rinsed thoroughly.

Chutneys - You can add store bought chutneys which will make this process quicker but I would highly suggest making some at home. The recipes for the chutneys are provided in the notes section in the recipe card below.

Papdi -These little fried wheat & semolina rounds add crunch and flavor. You will find these in Indian stores and online.

Spices - We will need cumin powder, chaat masala, red chili powder and Aamchur. Chaat masala is a combination of powdered spices widely used in making chaats. Aamchur is dried mango powder. Both can be found in Indian stores.If you cant use aamchur, just give a squeeze of lime juice before serving.

Toppings - We will need pomegranate arils, regular or vegan yoghurt, sev and cilantro. You can also drizzle some green and sweet chutney on top just before serving.

Process for making sweet potato chaat

The process for making this chaat is basically 3 parts.

Baking the sweet potatoes - We will coat the sweet potatoes with some oil, salt and bake it till crispy on the outside and soft inside. The potatoes should not be overdone since they will breakdown while making the chaat.

Making the Chutneys - Ignore this step if using store bought. Else, when the sweet potatoes are baking, quickly whip up the chutneys and keep aside.

Bringing it together - Once all the ingredients are ready, add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas in a bowl and add the spices along with most of the chutneys while keeping a little bit aside for topping. Toss and mix well. Now add the papdi and mix.

Place individual portions in the servings bowls or place all of it in a serving bowl. Top with pomegranate arils, sev, cilantro, yoghurt and the chutneys before serving right away.

Storage and Meal Prep Tips

The sweet potato chaat is best had freshly made and will get soggy even within a few minutes. If you have any leftovers, keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.

Remove from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for half an hour before lightly warming it up. Add some more crushed papdi for some crunch and other toppings before serving.

Meal Prep - You can bake the sweet potatoes and prep the chickpeas up to 2 days ahead of time. Just before making the chaat, reheat the baked sweet potatoes in an oven/air fryer to crunch it up a bit.

Let me know what you think of this delicious sweet potato chaat if you give this a try. You can follow along on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Recipe