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कचालू चाट | Kachaloo Chaat

Name: कचालू चाट | Kachaloo Chaat
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Street Food
Ingredients: 4–6 whole kachalu (large arbi / colocasia roots), unpeeled — कचालू (बड़ी अरबी); Water, enough to cover — पानी; 1 large boiled kachalu, peeled and cut into small cubes — उबला कचालू, छीला और कटा; 2 tbsp tamarind water (imli soaked and strained) — इमली का पानी; 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped — हरा धनिया, कटा हुआ; 2 green chillies, finely chopped — हरी मिर्च; 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste — नमक; 1/2 tsp red chilli powder — लाल मिर्च पाउडर; 3/4 tsp chaat masala — चाट मसाला; 1/4 tsp roasted ajwain (carom seeds) — भुनी अजवाइन; 1/4 tsp amchur (dry mango) powder — अमचूर पाउडर (वैकल्पिक); Lemon wedge, to squeeze on top — नींबू

Boiled taro, tangy tamarind water, roasted ajwain — chaat with zero oil

⏱️ Prep Time: 15 min 🔥 Cook Time: 45 min ⏰ Total Time: 60 min 🍽️ Servings: 2 ⭐ Easy 📊 165 cal/serving

Street Food Snacks

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Maa ka Tip Hindi Maa ka Tip

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Oil Usage

🟢 No Oil! Low-Oil

✅ Completely oil-free — boiled, not fried ✅ Taro (arbi) is rich in dietary fibre ✅ Tamarind and spices add flavour with almost no calories ✅ A make-ahead chaat with no heavy chutneys or sev

Ingredients

2 srv

To Boil Ahead

4–6 whole kachalu (large arbi / colocasia roots), unpeeled — कचालू (बड़ी अरबी)
Water, enough to cover — पानी

For One Bowl of Chaat

1 large boiled kachalu, peeled and cut into small cubes — उबला कचालू, छीला और कटा
2 tbsp tamarind water (imli soaked and strained) — इमली का पानी
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped — हरा धनिया, कटा हुआ
2 green chillies, finely chopped — हरी मिर्च
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste — नमक
1/2 tsp red chilli powder — लाल मिर्च पाउडर
3/4 tsp chaat masala — चाट मसाला
1/4 tsp roasted ajwain (carom seeds) — भुनी अजवाइन

Optional

1/4 tsp amchur (dry mango) powder — अमचूर पाउडर (वैकल्पिक)
Lemon wedge, to squeeze on top — नींबू

Instructions

Whenever you bring kachalu home, boil the whole lot in one go. Put the unpeeled roots in a pressure cooker, cover with water, and cook on low heat for about 6 whistles. It takes a while — close to an hour — but doing the whole batch at once means the chaat is quick later.

💡 Tip: Boil low and slow so the taro cooks through evenly; let the pressure drop naturally.

Cool the boiled kachalu and keep them in the fridge. On the day you want chaat, take out one big boiled kachalu, peel off the skin, and cut the white flesh into small cubes.

💡 Tip: Pre-boiled, chilled taro peels cleanly and cuts into neat cubes that hold their shape.

Soak a small piece of tamarind in water, mash it, and strain to get a smooth tangy tamarind water. Keep it ready.

💡 Tip: Tamarind water — not thick pulp — keeps this chaat light and lets the tang spread evenly.

Put the taro cubes in a bowl. Add the chopped coriander and green chillies, then the salt, red chilli powder and chaat masala. Add amchur if you like a little extra tang, or leave it out.

💡 Tip: Pile the dry spices and fresh aromatics on together — it all gets mixed in the next step.

Pour in the tamarind water and add a pinch of roasted ajwain. Roasting the ajwain first makes the chaat noticeably tastier. Mix everything gently so each cube is coated, then serve right away — no oil, no tadka, no cooking needed.

💡 Tip: Roast the ajwain dry on a hot pan for a few seconds till it smells fragrant, then crush lightly before adding.

रसोई की झलक | From the Kitchen

👩‍🍳

Mom's Special Tip

"Boil all the kachalu at once and keep them in the fridge — then the chaat is ready in minutes whenever you crave it. Always dry-roast the ajwain before adding; that little step makes the whole chaat taste far better. And there is no oil at all here — boiled arbi with tamarind and spices is tangy enough on its own."

📊 Nutrition Facts

Per serving (servings 2)

165

Calories

Protein

38g

Carbs

Fiber

About This Recipe

A zero-oil North Indian street-style chaat made from boiled kachalu (large arbi / colocasia). The taro is pressure-boiled in bulk ahead of time, then peeled, cubed, and tossed cold with tangy tamarind water, fresh coriander, green chilli, chaat masala, red chilli, a little amchur, and roasted ajwain. No frying, no tadka — just boiled root and a fresh, tangy dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is kachalu — is it the same as arbi or taro?

Yes. Kachalu (or kachaloo) is the large-sized arbi, also called colocasia or taro root. It is a starchy root that turns soft and white when boiled, and is a favourite for chaat in Jammu and Delhi.

How much oil does Kachaloo Chaat use?

None at all. The taro is boiled, then tossed cold with tamarind water and spices — there is no frying and no tadka, so it sits firmly in the green zero-oil band.

Can I make the chaat instantly?

Yes, if the kachalu is already boiled. Maa boils the whole batch in advance and keeps it in the fridge, so on chaat day you just peel one, cube it, and dress it — it is ready in a few minutes.

Why roast the ajwain before adding it?

Dry-roasting the carom seeds for a few seconds releases their aroma and tames the sharpness, which makes the finished chaat noticeably tastier than adding raw ajwain.