Arbi Tokri Chaat Vg* Recipe

Parboil and mash

Place the peeled and halved arbi in a pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil and simmer for 12–15 minutes until just tender (a knife should enter with slight resistance). Drain thoroughly and let cool until warm to the touch. Mash the arbi very finely to a smooth, lump-free texture.

Make basket dough

Transfer the warm mashed arbi to a bowl. Add cornflour, rice flour, ajwain, turmeric, red chili powder and 1 tsp salt. Mix well. Add up to 50 ml water, 1 tablespoon at a time, only if needed to bring the mixture together into a firm, pliable dough — it should be stiff enough to hold shape and not sticky.

Shape baskets

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (for 4 servings serve ~3 baskets per person) and roll into smooth balls. Lightly oil a small stainless-steel dariole mold, small ladle or the underside of a small measuring cup. Press each dough ball into the mold forming a thin-walled cup (push the center down and press walls up to create a basket shape). If you don't have molds, press the dough around an oiled metal spoon or use your fingers to shape thin cups on a sheet of parchment.

Fry baskets

Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170–180°C (340–360°F). Test with a small piece of dough — it should sizzle and rise steadily. Carefully lower a few prepared molds with dough into the oil; fry in batches so baskets don't touch. Fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3–4 minutes, turning if necessary for even color. Remove molds if used (use tongs and hold mold while releasing), drain baskets on paper towels. Repeat for all baskets. Allow baskets to cool completely so they crisp up.

Prepare the potato-chana filling

In a bowl combine the mashed boiled potatoes and boiled chickpeas. Lightly crush a portion of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon so there's a mix of whole and crushed for texture. Add chopped onion, chopped tomato, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black salt or black pepper, lemon juice and half of the chopped coriander. Mix gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Prep toppings

Coarsely crush roasted peanuts. Keep pomegranate arils, sev and the remaining coriander ready in small bowls for quick assembly.

Prepare sauces

Have the green chutney and tamarind chutney at room temperature. If store-bought, mix each with a little water to a pourable consistency (if very thick) so they drizzle easily. Combine roasted cumin powder and chaat masala in a small bowl to sprinkle at assembly.

Gently place 12 cooled arbi baskets on a serving platter. Spoon about 1–1.5 tablespoons of the potato-chana filling into each basket, pressing lightly so the filling sits compactly.

Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon green chutney and 1/2 teaspoon tamarind chutney over each filled basket (adjust to taste).

Sprinkle a pinch of the roasted cumin + chaat masala mix over each, then top with a few pomegranate arils, a pinch of crushed roasted peanuts and a small handful of sev so each basket gets a crunchy crown.

Garnish with remaining chopped coriander and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice over each just before serving.

Serve immediately so the baskets remain crisp. To keep extra baskets crisp, store in an airtight container at room temperature and assemble only before serving.