Varanasi Tamatar Chaat Seasonal Tomato Street UP

Method

1. 1

   Make the green chutney: Blend coriander, green chilli, ginger, lemon juice and salt to a smooth green paste. Adjust sourness and heat.

2. 2

   Prepare tamarind chutney: Use store-bought or blend tamarind pulp with jaggery, cumin and salt.

3. 3

   Cut the tomatoes: Cut firm ripe tomatoes into 2 cm cubes. They must be firm — soft tomatoes become watery and collapse the chaat.

4. 4

   Place tomatoes in a plate or bowl: Spread the tomato cubes as the base.

5. 5

   Drizzle yogurt: Spoon thick beaten yogurt over the tomatoes.

6. 6

   Add green chutney: Drizzle green chutney generously.

7. 7

   Add tamarind chutney: Drizzle tamarind chutney — this provides the sweet-sour depth.

8. 8

   Sprinkle spice mix: Sprinkle the combined spice mix (cumin, black salt, red chilli, chaat masala) over all.

9. 9

   Add sev and boondi: Scatter fine sev and boondi over the top.

10. 10

    Add pomegranate seeds and serve immediately: The tamatar chaat must be served and eaten immediately — the tomatoes release juice rapidly and the sev softens within minutes.

11. 11

    Note: Tamatar Chaat (tamatar = tomato) is specifically a Varanasi street preparation — different from the general chaat of North India in its use of fresh tomato as the primary ingredient rather than potato. The chaat stalls of Vishwanath Gali, Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Godowlia area of Varanasi are among the most concentrated of any city in India. Varanasi chaat is considered by food enthusiasts to have a distinct character from Delhi or Lucknow chaat — spicier, less sweet and with a stronger black salt presence.