Chaat in Ballabgarh: Gol Gappe, Tikki, Papri and Raj Kachori

The word chaat comes from chaatna, to lick. As in, licking your fingers after. That's the whole job description.

At our sweet shop on 100 Ft Road, Ballabgarh, the chaat is made to order, under the same roof as the mithai. Here's what's on it, what each one actually is, and how to order without standing there going "umm, ek woh wala".

Gol gappe

Hollow, crisp puris, a little filling, a dunk of flavoured water, straight into the mouth in one go. One go. Two bites is how you end up wearing it.

Every part of India has its own name for them. Here in Delhi and Haryana they're gol gappe. In Rajasthan they're pani ke batashe, in Mumbai pani puri, in Kolkata puchka. Same joy, different accent.

The classic way has two paanis: a teekha one with mint and coriander, and a meetha one made from imli. If you can't decide, mix them. Nobody's judging.

Bharma gol gappe are the filled kind. Bharma comes from bharwa, filled, so the plate reaches you already stuffed. Good for sharing.

Papri chaat and bhalle papri

Papri are small, flat, crisp fried discs. The classic plate: break them up, add potato and chickpeas, pour over dahi, the sweet imli chutney and the green one, finish with sev and a shake of chaat masala. Crunchy, soft, sweet, sour, spicy, all in one spoon.

That chaat masala is doing a lot, by the way. Amchur (dried mango), jeera, kala namak and a few more spices. The kala namak is the slightly eggy, very addictive one. Purely vegetarian, it's a rock salt.

Bhalle papri is the same plate with soft bhalle (lentil dumplings) added in. If papri chaat is the crunchy one, this is the crunchy one with a soft heart.

Dahi bhalle

Soft lentil bhalle soaked till they go spongy, then sitting in cool, lightly sweet dahi with chutneys on top. This is the chaat for people who say they don't like spicy food, and for anyone on a hot afternoon.

It's also very, very old. A recipe for something like dahi vada turns up in a Sanskrit text from the 12th century. Your dadi's dadi's dadi probably had an opinion on it.

Aloo tikki with chhole

A potato tikki fried on the tawa till the outside goes crisp and golden, then topped with hot chhole, chutneys and dahi. This one is a meal, not a snack. Bas, ek plate aur dinner ki zaroorat nahi.

Raj kachori

The raja of the chaat counter. A big, hollow, crisp kachori, cracked open on top and traditionally filled with the whole party: potato, chickpeas, sprouts, a bhalla, dahi and both chutneys. It's large, it's messy, and it's the one people photograph.

If you're two people, get one raj kachori to share and one other plate each. Thank us later.

How to order like a regular

• First time? Start with papri chaat. It has a bit of everything and tells you how you like your chaat.
• Not a spice person? Dahi bhalle, or ask for your plate kam teekha.
• Hungry? Aloo tikki with chhole, or raj kachori. Don't plan a big lunch after.
• Eat it right there. Chaat waits for no one. Give papri ten minutes under dahi and the crunch is gone.
• Save room for something meetha. The mithai is under the same roof, and a gulab jamun after a teekha plate is just good planning.

Everything else from the namkeen side, like samosa and kachori, is on the sweet shop menu, along with every sweet on the counter.