Tu ban ja gali Banaras ki,
Main shaam tak bhatku tujh mein.

Chaat, just hearing about this word salivates our mouth and later there is no stopping to craving. One can find chaat almost anywhere & everywhere in India. Every state, every city, every area has a different variety and taste to offer. Some are these chaats are so unique that you wouldn’t find them anywhere else except their place of its origin where they have been perfected over generations.

How about some History behind the invention of chaat? So, this one tale is famous about chaat and it dates back to era of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. When the emperor decided to move his capital, he chose Delhi as its location. After moving to Delhi, it was discovered by a hakim that the water of river Yamuna isn’t safe for consumption. In such dilemma the emperor was advised to increase the use of spices & oils in his diet; soon, the whole city was informed about it. The meat eaters increased spices in their meat preparations, while the vegetarians were left clueless. And thats how we were introduced to Chaat.

This chaat here is my take on very famous & unique to one of the oldest city in the world, Banaras. It’s called “tamatar chaat” and can be found in the lanes of Kashi. It was year 2015 when I first visited Kashi, and I was mesmerised by the calmness the city had.

The ghats, the people, the food, all of it has a charm like no other city. Pace of life so slow and at ease that it makes you wonder, what is the purpose of life? And just when you are in your deep thoughts you hear the bustling of the lanes where people come around in evenings to eat the chaat. Made with lots of tomatoes and perfect blend of spices, this tamatar chaat is true representation of Banaras & its old world charm.

So, apart from Taj Mahal we can thank Shahjahan for chaat as well!