Now trending: Chaat boards for Diwali

Butter boards were all the buzz last year. These have a standard format: on a wooden board, a thick layer of butter is spread, topped with herbs and served with warm bread. This viral party dish got a trendy desi makeover this Diwali with colourful chaat boards. One could argue that the latter upped the game. The butter is replaced with thick hung curd, streaked with spicy and sweet chutneys, sprinkled with chaat powder, topped with boiled potato pieces, sev, coriander and pomegranate arils, and served with papdi. The idea is to scoop the dahi with the papdi and enjoy. Instagram is inundated with reels and videos of colourful chaat boards and their many iterations; from tokri chaat boards to chaat dips. Take inspiration from these.

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1. A basic chaat board

Master the basics firsts. This is the hung curd version that went viral. Guests might go for second and third helpings, and it will be a good idea to make an extra and store it in the fridge.

2. A katori chaat board

This a DIY chaat board perfect for intimate gatherings. It allows guests to bond over food as they create their own take on katori chaat. The idea is to place the essentials on a large board such as chutneys, mini katoris, curd and toppings like sev, freshly chopped coriander, sprouts, chopped chillies, pomegranate arils, boondi and other chaat paraphernalia.

3. A chaat board with mithai

Pani puri shots with mithai will tick all the right boxes on the Diwali food menu. It’s an excellent idea as a welcome gesture. Let people pick a pani puri shot (preferably spiked with vodka) followed by katlis or warm and crunchy jalebis.

4. Chaat dips

This is another take on the chaat board. It’s a deconstructed version of papdi chaat with the papdi served separately and dahi mixture placed in a bowl. The idea is to scoop out a generous helping of the dahi layered with chutneys, potatoes and bhujia, and relish it.

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