Katori Chaat Recipe | Tokri Chaat

Katori chaat recipe with step by step pics. Katori chaat is also known as tokri chaat. To make katori chaat, small to medium sized baskets are made from grated fried potatoes. These are then filled with the quintessential chaat ingredients like boiled chana (chickpeas), potatoes, spicy and sweet chutneys, curd, chaat masala etc.

About Katori Chaat

The Hindi word ‘katori’ is a ‘small bowl’ and a ‘tokri’ refers to a ‘basket’ in English. Hence, very aptly named, this recipe of Katori Chaat or Tokri Chaat means small to medium sized edible bowls or baskets filled with essentials that make up a smashing. mouth-watering chaat.

The crispiness of the fried potato basket is distinctly felt when eating katori chaat. There are many flavors, textures and tastes bursting in the mouth. All I can say is that you have to eat this chaat to experience its awesome taste and flavor.

Aloo lachha tokri chaat is popular in North India. Here the tokri or katori is made from grated potatoes. In Hindi the word ‘lachha’ means strands. Hence the term aloo lachha tokri which means baskets made from grated potato strands.

Tips for making Katori chaat

1. Making the potato baskets are easy, but you just need to be careful when frying. So be calm and patient while frying. Do not make the potato baskets in a hurry.
2. Making chaat takes more time as many ingredient elements are needed which are added in the chaat. Usually, I prep one or two days before and make the chutneys, boil the chana and potatoes, keep the curd to set, etc. Even the fried potato baskets can be made a week or some days before and stored in an air-tight container. These baskets stay crisp for a longer time.
3. In this recipe I have used the main filling of chickpeas and potatoes. But you can make a variety of stuffings. Some moong sprouts can also be added, you can also add mix fruits, even corn along with some herbs will taste good. Chana masala can also be added. I have not added any onions and tomatoes, but you can add them.

For the method of making the aloo tokris, I have been loosely following the method from Sanjeev kapoor’s book chaat.

While the aloo lachha katori recipe posted here makes for 5 tokris, but you can easily double the recipe and make a larger batch. Keep the aloo katoris in an air-tight jar. I have never baked the tokris, so I do not know if baking them will work or not.

In this recipe post, I have shared making the aloo katoris in detail. for the chickpeas, soak about ⅓ cup white chickpeas in water overnight and then pressure cook with some salt and water.

For the potatoes also, steam or pressure cook 2 medium sized potatoes. Other ingredient elements that you will need are mentioned below. You can add any of the green chutney recipe mentioned below. I have already shared detailed recipes on these ingredient elements:

1. Coriander chutney
2. Green chaat chutney
3. Saunth chutney (sweet tamarind chutney)

The best way to enjoy this lovely Katori Chaat is to serve it immediately after assembling it. Otherwise, the elements will turn soggy if kept for long and served later.

How to make Katori Chaat

A) grating and soaking potatoes:

1. Firstly in a bowl take 2 cups water.

2. Rinse 250 grams of potatoes or 3 medium sized potatoes in fresh water and then peel them.

3. Grate potatoes using a medium sized grater. Do not make fine potato gratings.

4. Add the grated potatoes in the bowl containing water. Keep them soaked for 15 to 20 minutes.

Making aloo tokri

5. Later from the bowl, take some portion of the grated potatoes in your palms and squeeze all the water very well.

6. Place them on a kitchen paper towel so that all the extra moisture is absorbed. Do this with the remaining grated potatoes as well. Spread the grated potatoes evenly on the kitchen paper towel.

7. Add 1 tablespoon rice flour. You can also use corn flour (corn starch).

8. Mix very well.

9. Now take two tea strainers. One strainer should be slightly large. In the large strainer, place some portion of the grated potatoes.

10. With your fingers press and make an even layer of the grated potatoes all around the strainer.

11. You can even use a spoon and press with it to get an even layer. Spread the grated potatoes evenly all over the sides and center. The center should not be thick.

12. Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying in a heavy kadai. To check if the temperature is correct, add a few grated strands of the potatoes. They should come up steadily in the hot oil.

If they take time to come up, the oil is not hot. So increase the flame. If they come up too fast, the oil is very hot. So lower the flame.

13. Now place the small strainer on top of the grated potatoes and gently press it.

Frying aloo tokri

14. Hold both the strainers and carefully and gently keep them in the hot oil. Fry in medium flame.

15. Hold and keep the top strainer for a minute in the oil. Some oil will collect in the strainer.

16. After a minute remove the top strainer draining the extra oil. Keep it aside. Continue to keep the strainer with the potatoes in the oil and fry.

17. With a ladle, you can even pour some oil all over the potatoes. You can do this method if you have used less oil while deep frying.

18. When the potatoes are getting fried, you will see lot of bubbles in the strainer. Use a good quality strainer so that its handle does not become hot or very hot while frying.

19. While frying you can take the strainer up to check if the potatoes are done or not.

20. Continue to fry till the oil starts to sizzle less and you can see the potatoes becoming crisp and light golden. The potato basket will also move if you shake the strainer.

This happens when the potatoes are completely fried. If the potatoes are not fried completely, there will be still some stickiness in them and they will stick to the strainer.

21. Fry till the potatoes are crisp and light golden.

22. Slowly and gently slid the strainer on kitchen paper towels.

23. The potato basket will easily slid on the kitchen paper towel. You don’t need to use a fork or knife to remove the potato basket. If fried well, it separates from the strainer easily.

24. Now using the same strainer, add the grated potatoes and press with a spoon. Don’t use your fingers as the strainer will be hot. You can also use another tea strainer. Make potato baskets with the remaining grated potatoes in the same way. Slowly and carefully fry in the oil.

When you are placing and shaping the grated potatoes basket in the strainer, that time Reduce the flame to medium-low. this is done so that the oil does not become very hot. Later you fry at the same medium-low flame. Since by the time you make and fry each katori, the oil will be hot.

Making chana stuffing for katori chaat

25. In a bowl take 1 cup boiled safed chana (white chickpeas). You can even use canned chickpeas. Also add 1 cup of chopped boiled potatoes.

26. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder, ½ teaspoon dry mango powder and ½ teaspoon black salt or add as required.

27. Mix very well.

Assembling and making katori chaat

28. Before you begin to assemble, keep all the ingredients ready. Take one aloo lachha basket and keep it directly on the serving plate or a chopping board.

29. Fill the aloo katori with the boiled chana and aloo (potato) mixture.

30. Now top with some beaten curd, sweet tamarind chutney and coriander chutney.

31. Sprinkle some chaat masala and black salt as per taste.

32. Add some sev (gram flour vermicelli) and pomegranate arils as required

33. Lastly garnish with some chopped coriander leaves. This way assemble and make all aloo katoris.

34. Serve aloo katori chaat straight away for the best taste and texture.

More popular chaat snacks

1. Bhel puri
2. Jhal muri
3. Raj kachori
4. Aloo chaat
5. Dahi bhalla

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

This Katori Chaat post from archives first published in March 2018 has been updated and republished on January 2023.