Meet the chef

What is Chaat? (Chāt) — “to lick” or “to taste” in Hindi — is a savory snack that is ubiquitous on the streets and menus across Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

Chaat Dog: An all-beef hot dog on a ghee-toasted bun, topped with chaat and finished with cilantro chutney, tamarind-plum chutney, fried onions, a Sev & boondi crunch, fresh cilantro & pickled hot wax peppers that we make in-house.

It’s a mashup of my Chicago-area upbringing (we ate a lot of hot dogs growing up) and my Pakistani heritage (chaat, the savory snack that is ubiquitous on the streets and menus across Pakistan, Bangladesh and India).

The idea first came to me several years ago at a hotdog cook off for a surprise birthday party for a friend who had held a hot dog cook off fundraiser for years. My wife and I teamed up for a bhel puri dog (potatoes, onions, garlic, chaat masala, red and green chutneys and bhel puri mix on a hot dog) that were a huge hit.

Chaat is the perfect topping for a smoky hot dog, adding acid and balance to every bite.