A lot of people(including me) majorly attend a wedding for the food. Most Indian weddings have the same old tried and tested menu. Three dishes in the same orange gravy, jeera rice, and Tava Sabzi are a common sight across India. While most wedding menus are the same, I recently came across an interesting dish at a wedding.
This particular counter was the least crowded counter in the entire hall. But as word spread of this crunchy Chaat, hundreds of people flocked the counter in order to get a bowl. The Dish being served was Paan Chaat.
I was curious to see what everyone at the wedding was going crazy about so I stood in line in order to get my hands on some.
When it was my turn I was handed a small bowl of what looked like your ordinary Dahi based Chaat. But it was not until the first bite that I realized how amazing this dish was.
Paan Chat is basically deep fried Bettlenut leaves topped with Chutneys and sweet Dahi along with a dash of Chaat Masala. These are the same leaves that are used to wrap Gulkand among other things while making Meetha Paan!
My brain couldn’t register what I was eating so I had to take another bite! The Paan was dipped in a batter that gives it a spicy flavor and a crispness that I had never tasted before. It was a completely different mouthfeel as I never thought that food can be this crispy yet firm despite being doused with Dahi.
By the time I finished the bowl in my hand, I was already back in line waiting for a second serving!
This kind of Chaat is not mainstream and I’m pretty sure you can’t find something like this on the streets of Bombay!