Let's Chat About Chaat With The Food Atlas
Now that I've had Indian street food, I can die a happy woman.
Wait! I can't die yet - there's more Indian street food to eat!!
After multiple visits to the Everett Farmers Market and avoiding the long lines at The Food Atlas booth, we finally got a chance to try them out.
The Food Atlas offers five different chaats, so the boyfriend and I selected two to try: the Crispy Chicken Chaat - large chunks of fried chicken swimming in all the toppings, and the Atlas Chaat - crispy chips, a samosa (fried pastry filled with curried veggies), and a pakora (veggies coated in chickpea flour and fried) blanketed in all the toppings.
The list of "all the toppings" is somewhat overwhelming, with many different flavors in one dish that sounded very intimidating to this first-timer: chickpea curry yogurt, tamarind-date chutney, mint-jalapeno chutney, puffed rice, crispy chickpea noodles, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds. The final topping is a sauce based on your desired spice level: mild, medium, or hot. We went medium for the crispy chicken chaat and hot for the Atlas chaat. We also ordered a double order of samosa that comes drizzled with all the toppings.
Atlas Chaat // Rachel Weatherholt
As they assembled our plates, we worried that we had overbought. But, having watched a bunch of orders leave the tent ahead of ours and having not eaten anything all day in preparation for this event, we were so excited to dig in.
Crispy Chicken Chaat // Rachel Weatherholt
Chaat, loosely translated, means "finger-lickin' good." Our chaats were definitely finger-lickin' good, but more importantly, they were comforting and warmed me to my soul. I appreciated the contrast between the curry and yogurt; the differences in textures of the cooked and crispy chickpeas on top; the sweetness of the date and mint in the chutneys next to the slight heat of jalapeno; the citrusy tang of cilantro with the sweet-tart of pomegranate seeds; and finally the warmth of the medium and hot sauces. Every bite was like magic, with all elements working together in a beautiful flavor concert.
The samosas were exceptionally spiced and fried perfectly. I was lucky enough to be offered a bite of the pakora from the boyfriend's dish, which was equally delicious. Even as I started to get full, I didn't want to stop eating; it was that good.
Double order of samosas // Rachel Weatherholt
Another reason to visit The Food Atlas: they are gluten-free and vegan-friendly.
Go get a plate of chaat and a side of samosa; your tastebuds will thank you. You can find The Food Atlas' schedule on Street Food Finder or follow their shenanigans on Instagram. The Food Atlas will also attend The Everett Food Truck Festival And Upper Left Beerfest on August 13, 2022, in downtown Everett.
Rachel Weatherholt is a long-time Everett resident who loves books, horror movies, cooking, and eating good food.
