Lucknow: Adding another flavor to Lucknow’s coveted tag as a global city of gastronomy, popular street food – the basket chaat – has made it to the top 10 entries in the MasterChef Australia 2026.Presented by Indian-origin contestant Kanika Gadyok, her ‘Katori chaat’ (famous as basket chaat in Lucknow) outshone a range of dishes, including butterfly trout, oxtail ravioli, and quail. Blending crisp ‘aloo’ patty, tangy chutneys and rich flavours, the dish is dubbed as the king of ‘Lakhnavi chaat’ all tucked inside an edible basket made of potato shreds.Back in Lucknow, the news, along with congratulatory messages, reached its creator Hardayal Maurya.Recalling the origin of the dish, he said: “I like to call it ‘haseen ittefaq’ (a beautiful coincidence). It was early 1992, I was trying to salvage some leftover grated potato shreds. By chance, I placed a hot ladle on the potato shreds which got stuck to it. To clean the ladle, I put it in piping hot oil and got a structure shaped like a basket (‘katori’) in residue. Since it was made of potatoes, it was edible, and I put it to use.”“Since the outcome looked good, I repeated this action and made several ‘katoris’. A group of journalists were roaming in Hazratganj that day and they stopped by for a quick food break. I served them our popular ‘aloo chaat’ in this basket after garnishing it with some spices. They all loved it and some of them wrote about it. The dish made headlines and the demand grew,” Maurya said.Though Maurya has left the restaurant which served this food, basket chaat continues to thrive.Food vlogger Priyank Srivastava said: “Many people think whether the dish is worth the hype or not, but after one bite, they sing paeans for it. Once they taste it, they are destined to come back for its compelling flavour.”Education counselor Eesha Nigam described basket chaat as “sweet, sour, bitter, crispy, creamy and heavenly, all at the same time.”“It is a full meal. Sometimes it takes two to finish a single portion,” said RK Paul, a resident of Lalbagh.“It is rich in flavors and calories, but it is not tough to digest because of the condiments used,” remarked Tejas Singh who binges on it at least once a month.Moving on from Hazratganj and after being declared as the undisputed “king of chaat” in Lucknow, Maurya has started training people on making ‘basket chaat’.“I don’t believe in secret recipes. Everyone has the right to good food. Anyone interested in learning is most welcome. Another reason is that my children are already well settled, so if I must leave a legacy behind, more people should make it like the one in master chef,” he said.Master chef Pankaj Bhadouria remarked that the moment reaffirmed the rich legacy of Lakhnavi cuisine.“Lucknow is home to innovation in food. Some of its popular dishes are a result of out-of-the-box thinking. Kebabs, it is believed, came up as a solution to fulfill the desire of a nawab who could not chew the mutton. Then, a lot of food consumed in Kayastha households are vegetarian versions of ‘kormas’ and ‘yakhnis’,” she pointed out.“Basket chaat winning hearts in Australia has reaffirmed our innate characteristic,” she said.Additional chief secretary, tourism and culture, Amrit Abhijat said that the popularity of a Lakhnavi street food had added to the responsibility of the state vis-à-vis commitments under the City of Gastronomy declaration.“It is a moment of pride which is also a reminder of our shared responsibility of winning people’s hearts through gastronomy. It has proven the power of vegetarian food from Lucknow otherwise synonymous to ‘kebabs’ and ‘biryanis’,” he said.
