Papdi Chaat

 

I'm a die hard fan of Indian Chaat or Indian Street Food and you? I know nobody can say "NO" to these mouth-watering dishes whether it's a child or an adult we all love them equally.  There are so many options in this genre, starting from Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, Dahi Puri, Vada Pav, Egg rolls, Chow mein, Dahi Vada to Papdi Chaat: we just love all of them. 

The exact place to enjoy the taste of any "Indian Street Food" is on the Indian Streets. But, sometimes the health conscious soul inside me wakes up and forces me not to have these roadside chaat and all those alluring foodstuffs and the little child inside me gets disappointed. So, in order to make that child happy the foodie inside me gets up and tries to recreate the taste of Indian Street Food in my very own kitchen but in a hygienic way. As a result me and my soul both are happy.

Yesterday, I had a very serious craving for some Papdi Chaat and as usual I was not in the favor of having it from the roadside shops. So, I decided to make it at my home. Making "Papdi Chaat" at home is very simple but you need to do some prior preparations like boiling chickpeas and potatoes etc. The crunch of the Papdis, the tanginess of the yogurt and the sweetness of the tamarind chutney is simply irresistible. 

I know this recipe will make you drool. So, without any further ado let's begin with our recipe:

Ingredients:

For Making Papdis:

1. All purpose flour: 1 cup

2. Carom Seeds: 1 tbsp

3. Salt: 1/4 tsp

4. Oil: 2 tbsp + for deep frying

5. Water: for kneading

For Making Tamarind Chutney:

1. Tamarind Pulp: 2 cups

2. Salt: 1 tbsp

3. Sugar: 1/2 cup

4. Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp

5. Corn Flour: 1 tbsp

6. Water: 1/2 cup

For Making Cilantro-Mint Chutney:

1. Cilantro (roughly chopped): 1 cup

2. Mint (roughly chopped): 1/2 cup

3. Green Chilli: 1

4. Garlic: 1 clove

5. Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp

6. Salt: 1 tsp

For Assembling:

1. Yogurt: 1 and 1/2 cup 

2. Boiled Potatoes (diced): 1 cup

3. Boiled Chickpeas: 1 cup

4. Onions (finely chopped): 1 cup

5. Tomatoes (finely chopped): 1/2 cup

6. Cilantro(finely chopped): 1/2 cup

7. Rock Salt (Kala Namak): 1 tsp

8. Red Chili Powder: 1sp

9. Cumin Powder: 1 tsp

10. Chaat Masala: 1 tsp

11. Salt: 1 tsp 

12. Sev: 1/2 cup

Method:

For Making Papdis:

1. In a bowl sieve all purpose flour with salt. Add the carom seeds and 2 tbsp of oil. Mix well until you get a crumbly texture. This will make the papdis crunchier.

2. Add water little by little and knead the flour to a firm dough (neither too hard nor too soft). Cover it and keep it aside for 30 mins.

3. In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and heat it on medium flame.

4. Meanwhile, take small amount of dough and roll it to a flat sheet. Using a cookie cutter cut out the sheet to make small papdis.

5. Using a fork or a toothpick prick the cut out papdis so that they don't puff while frying and become crisp.

6. When the oil is hot enough fry the Papdis in batches until they become golden in color. Take them out in a plate lined with paper towel. Keep them aside. 

For Making Tamarind Chutney:

1. In a separate pan take the tamarind pulp and mix with water. Place it on medium heat and let it boil.

2. Add salt, sugar, red chili powder and mix well. When the mixture is reduced to half taste the seasoning and adjust it accordingly.

3. In a small bowl take the corn flour and mix it with a tbsp of water. Add it to the chutney. Let it cook for a minute.

4. When the chutney becomes thick enough turn off the heat. Keep it aside.

For Making Cilantro-Mint Chutney:

1. Take all the ingredients mentioned under "For Making Cilantro-Mint Chutney" in a blender. Add a tbsp of water and make a smooth paste.

2. Taste the seasoning and adjust it accordingly.

For Assembling Papdi Chaat:

1. In a serving plate arrange the Papdis. Put the boiled potatoes and chickpeas.

2. In a bowl add a tbsp of salt to the yogurt and beat well. Drizzle this yogurt on top of the Papdis. Add tamarind chutney and cilantro-mint chutney.

3. Add finely chopped onions, tomatoes and sprinkle red chili powder, cumin powder, rock salt and chaat masala.

4. Top the Papdi Chaat with Sev and garnish it with chopped cilantro.

5. Enjoy this mouth watering and hygienic Papdi Chaat and make yourself and your soul happy.

Note:

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