Located just off of the I-880, Chaat Bhavan is convenient vegetarian eatery to stop for a quick and cheap meal if you're on your way to the India Cash and Carry or other nearby shops for Indian groceries. Despite the fact the dining room is undergoing a renovation, their deliciously prepared dishes emerge from the kitchen at a brisk pace. All items are priced under $10 and include Punjabi, Gujarati, Desi Chinese and South Indian snacks, curries, freshly baked breads from their tandoor and even wraps. The chaat samosa comes with two fried potato-filled pastries smothered with a sweet chickpea curry, spicy chutney and onions. It pairs well with the heaping platter of cool, crunchy bhel puri that's the main highlight of the bhel thali special. Generally made with puffed rice, bits of papdis or baked crackers, housemade sev (fried chickpea flour noodles), onions, lentils, cilantro and chutney, it's a popular Indian street food treat. This thali comes with two small servings of the vegetable curries of the day, your choice of roti or paratha flatbread, kadhi (a simmered yogurt and chickpea flour gravy), jasmine rice, raita (yogurt accompaniment with raw vegetables and spices to cool your palate), papadum, and rice pudding, or kheer, for dessert. You also get your choice of soda, tea, or chaas. Scoop up their version of saag paneer, a rich, savory spinach curry made with housemade cheese, with pieces of their fresh masala roti. You can also get a 10-pack bag of their whole wheat rotis to go. And one of my personal favorites, the richly flavored dal makhani is prepared with a mix of black lentils, kidney and mung beans. Vegan, gluten-free and Jain options are also denoted on the menu. And there's a second location in Sunnyvale, another popular Indian enclave, on the other side of the bay.

Chaat Bhavan
5355 Mowry Ave. [Map]
Fremont, CA 94538
Ph: (510) 795-1100
Hours: Everyday from 11:30am-10pm
Facebook: Chaat Bhavan
Twitter: @chaatbhavan
Price range: $ (Entrees $10 and under)

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