Street Chaat · Lentil Fritters in Yogurt

Dahi Bhallay

Photo: BhargavVora / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The fried lentil fritter under all that yogurt traces to a 12th-century Sanskrit recipe called kshiravata in the encyclopedic text Manasollasa — people were dunking fried lentil balls in curd centuries before yogurt sauces were common food anywhere else.

Deep-fried lentil fritters are briefly soaked in water, then submerged in thick whipped yogurt and topped with tamarind chutney, mint, chili powder and toasted cumin. Lahore's chaat carts spoon it into small bowls as a cooling, tangy snack.

Why it's made this way: The dish spread across the subcontinent from ancient roots, and in Punjab it became a fixture of street chaat stalls, prized for the contrast between crisp fried fritter and cool, spiced yogurt.