Make a Chaat board this Navratri

A chaat board by Cauldron Sisters

Navratri get-togethers are all about music, food and chatter. At such meets, wouldn’t it be good to have festival-appropriate food? Every event is not always about wine and cheese, and Navratri calls for chaat boards. 

What is a chaat board?

A chaat board is a desi version of a cheese board with dips and finger foods. . The cheese is replaced with dips made from hung curd or chutneys of one’s choice. The crackers and fruits are replaced with desi finger foods like papri, fafda, potato chips and khakra.  

Ratika Bhargava of Jaipur-based Cauldron Sisters explains, “Just think pure desi when it comes to dips. Flavoured hung curd is a good option if one wants to avoid the chutneys. I’d suggest hung curd so that it is not messy and easy to scoop it up with whatever finger food one has.” 

Rati says vrat boards are also possible if one is doing a vrat get-together. Her suggestion is: “Be very sure of the vrat foods. There are many dos and don’ts, so keeping in mind dietary preference is a must.” 

‘The arrangement of a chaat board plays an important role, Rati points out. She also says one can do masala puri chaats and include shot glasses with the pani for those who prefer pani puri instead of masala puri. “We suggest shot glasses, so that it is not messy for the host and are non-shareable. An ideal or the easiest chaat board can be done with vegetable chips. Sweet potato chips, okra chips, beetroot and carrot are healthy and will make the host a star for that night.” 

According to Rati, Kachalu (colacasia or arbi) as a chaat item during Navratri is a must-have in some communities, “ One can make a stir fry with it or masala dry fry and serve with dips. On its own as well, Kachalu is a great snacking option.”