These Chaat Dog Recipes Will Turbocharge Your Next Hot Dog Party

Few foods are more American than the hot dog. The gift of German immigrants who first arrived in the 1860s, this everyman tubed meat became a vehicle for endless interpretation by the immigrants who followed. The Chaat Dog is my contribution, a mashup of my Chicago upbringing (we ate a LOT of hot dogs growing up) and my Pakistani heritage. Chaat (chāt), which means to “to lick” or “to taste” in Hindi, is an all-day snack ubiquitous throughout Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It takes many forms, but its mix of ingredients combine crunchy, spicy, sweet, sour, and tangy all in one bite. Think of it this way: If the hot dog cart is the comfort food you find on nearly every street corner in America, a chaat stall is the South Asian equivalent. Here are three chaat dog recipes that will elevate your summer cookout. We like to serve them with Vienna Beef or Field Roast franks, but feel free to use your favorite pup.

Chaat Dogs Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the hot dogs:

8 all-beef or veggie hot dogs
4 tablespoons melted ghee or olive oil
8 top-sliced hot dog buns, separated almost to the bottom using a knife instead of pulling them apart for a straight, clean edge for even toasting

For the garnish:

Corn chaat (see recipe below)
Potato chaat (see recipe below)
Mango chaat (see recipe below)
Cilantro and mint chutney, homemade or store-bought (see recipe below)
Tamarind chutney, jarred or homemade
Fried onions or shallots
½ cup sev (crunchy chickpea-flour vermicelli)
½ cup boondi (crunchy chickpea-flour balls)
Chaat masala
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Pickled peppers of your choice, sliced and mostly seeded (banana or sport peppers work well)

Instructions:

Step 1: To assemble the hot dogs, set out all the chaats, chutneys, and garnishes on a table. Cook the hot dogs on a hot grill or in a saute pan over medium-high heat, until nicely blistered all over. While the dogs are cooking, liberally brush the cut sides of the buns with ghee. In a separate saute pan, cook the buns until toasted golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side.

Step 2: Transfer the buns to a platter and place a hot dog firmly inside each bun. Invite your guests to top their dogs with one or all of the chaat toppings and drizzle their dogs with the chutneys, shower them with large pinches of fried onions, sev, and boondi, and garnish with pinches of chaat masala, cilantro leaves, and pickled peppers. For added spice, finish with a teaspoon of the pickled-pepper brine. Eat over a plate and make sure to have a napkin and spoon ready.

Cilantro and Mint Chutney Recipe

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 bunches cilantro
1 bunch mint
1 large garlic clove
1 small serrano pepper, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt

Instructions:

Step 1: Wash cilantro and in a large mixing bowl filled with cold water. Remove any thick, woody stems and discard. Drain, and repeat until there is no dirt in the bottom of the bowl. While cilantro is soaking, pick mint leaves. Discard the stems.

Step 2: In the bowl of a food processor add garlic, the pepper, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, and salt to taste. Blend until pureed.

Step 3: Scrape down the side of the food processor, add the cleaned cilantro and mint leaves, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Store in an airtight container or squeeze bottle. The chutney will lose its bright green color over time, but will last for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Corn Chaat Recipe

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

2 ears fresh yellow sweet corn, shucked, or 1 bag of frozen corn, thawed
1 small poblano pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ small red onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
8 medium garlic cloves from ½ head garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chaat masala, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon cilantro and mint chutney, homemade or store bought
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions:

Step 1: Make the chaat. On a hot grill or in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, lightly char the corn on all sides. (If you’re using frozen and thawed corn kernels, cook them in the saute pan.) Then char the poblano pepper until the skin is well blistered and the pepper starts to soften. (You can also char the pepper directly over the flame of a gas burner.)

Step 2: When the corn is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from the cob. Place the kernels in a large bowl and discard the cobs. Remove the poblano’s blistered skin, stem, and seeds. Lay the poblano flat, cut into thin strips, then roughly chop into small bits.

Step 3: Add the oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and half the salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until the mixture begins to caramelize, about 1 minute more, making sure it does not burn. You want it to be a toasty brown.

Step 4: Stir in the corn kernels and remaining salt, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the flavors meld, 5 minutes.

Step 5: Transfer the corn mixture to a mixing bowl. Stir in the chaat masala, cilantro-mint chutney, poblano, and lime juice. Combine well, tasting and adjusting flavors as needed. If you’re not using the chaat right away, you can refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it; just give it time to come to room temperature.

Potato Chaat Recipe

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 large golden or russet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
2½ teaspoons salt, divided
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon cilantro and mint chutney, homemade or store bought
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chaat masala
Juice of ½ lime

Instructions:

Step 1: Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, add 1½ teaspoons salt. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool. Drain and pat dry.

Step 2: Combine the onions, garlic, chutney, olive oil, remaining salt, chaat masala, and lime juice. Fold in the potatoes. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.

Mango Chaat Recipe

Makes about 1½ cups

Ingredients:

1 medium shallot, finely diced (or 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion)
1 teaspoon minced serrano pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro and mint chutney, homemade or store bought
1 lime, zested and juiced
1½ teaspoons chaat masala
1 large (12-ounce) partially ripe mango or 2 small ones, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

Instructions:

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the shallot, pepper, green chutney, lime zest and juice, and chaat masala in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the mango. Combine well, tasting and adjusting the flavors as needed. If you’re not using the chaat right away, refrigerate it until you’re ready to, then bring it to room temperature.

Pervaiz Shallwani is a seasoned journalist, trained chef and the creator and owner of Chaat Dog, a hot dog pop-up based in New York City.
Dina Ávila is a photographer in Portland, Oregon.
Recipes tested by Ivy Manning