Chip chaat: The ultimate 10-minute party snack

This Indian-inspired chip chaat recipe is an easy-peasy, spicy and crunchy twist on eating bagfuls of crisps

We all love chips (crisps in the UK), and chaat. If you are not familiar with it, chaat is an iconic Indian street food that entails an explosion of sweet, spicy, tangy, and crunchy flavors. However, traditional chaats often feel complicated to make at home. They rely on crispy pooris, chutneys, samosas, and tikkis. However, this easy-peasy chip chaat does not need any of this.

What if you could recreate the magic of chaat in just 10 minutes with just a few bags of chips? This chip chaat is my go-to way to instantly elevate a game night, movie marathon, or house part. So, trust me when I say, it is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser with minimal effort!

This dish takes me straight back to my B-School days, where our night canteen always had some version of chip chaat on the menu. Whether we were pulling all-nighters for assignments or throwing dorm parties, chip chaat was the ultimate sharing platter among friends.

Recently, I made this at home for a game night, and it was an instant blockbuster, just like old times! Therefore, I decided to share my quick, no-fuss version for you to try.

So, here is how you can whip up a simple chip chaat for a party of 4.

Chip Chaat Ingredients (Serves 4)

📌 Base:

• 3 small packs (~75g) of your favorite crisps (I love Walkers Cheese & Onion, but plain salted or masala-flavored or salt & vinegar chips work well too)
• A handful of sev or Indian Bombay mix or Snack Mix (for extra crunch)

📌 Fresh Mix:

• 1 ½ red onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 green chili, finely chopped (or substitute with green chili sauce—see instructions below)
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

📌 Seasoning:

• 4 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (or mild chili powder/smoked paprika for an alternative)
• Juice of ½ a lemon (adjust to taste)

How to prepare

Let’s start by assembling all the ingredients (the photo contains ingredients for just 1 person. I made it as a snack for a solo movie date!)

Prep the fresh mix: In a large bowl, combine the onions, tomatoes, green chili, and coriander. Sprinkle salt and toss well. Here, note that, salting the vegetables releases natural MSG from the tomatoes and makes everything tastier.

Add the seasoning: Mix in 4 tsp chaat masala, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, and lemon juice (from 1/4-1/2 of a lemon). Then, combine everything so the flavors blend well.

Prepare the chips: Lightly crush the crisps inside their packets and add them to the bowl. I love using Walkers cheese & onion.

Mix and serve immediately: Toss everything together and top with sev or Indian snack mix. If using green chili sauce, drizzle it now. Serve fresh for the best crunch!

In summary, this chip chaat is a beautiful party snack. It is effortlessly tasty, making it perfect for parties and gatherings!

Serving Suggestions: Serve with coke, soda or chilled beer and other party snacks.

If you are looking for more Indian-inspired snack options for your next movie/game night or party, try out this very similar and more popular, Bhel. You can also make samosa toastie bites out of this samosa masala toastie recipe.

Hope you make it on the next game night, a chill movie night with friends and family or as an appetiser at the next house party. If you make it, let me know in the comments below what your favourite chips are!