Papdi Chaat | Easy Vegetarian Snack

A popular street food which could very well be an Indian cousin of nachos. Flour crispies with chickpeas and potatoes and topped with chutneys, yogurt and spices. Finger licking good! Vegetarian!

Few days ago I shared this Papdi Chaat recipe video on my instagram page and it was showered with love. But along with that love also came a request (or a demand in some cases!) - recipe for this Papdi Chaat. Sometimes I hesitate because for some of these dishes there is not really a recipe per se. Grab a bunch of great, flavorful ingredients and put them together in a way that it creates a balance of flavors, textures and colors! So this is what it is.

What is Chaat?

I can write a whole post on different types of chaats. To start with, know this - chaat is a lifestyle! Some favorites include tikki chaat, aloo chaat, sweet potato chaat, dahi bhalla chaat, bhel, corn bhel chaat, fruit chaat, summer vegetable chaat, and the list goes on and on. Tamarind and mint-cilantro chutneys are a must have. You can choose homemade (easy recipes here) or store bought. A crispy element is a must and in this Papdi chaat, papdi is that star element. Flour discs are fried until they are crispy and flaky. You can for sure make them at home but store bought is the way I go. Just like you would with nachos, spread and layer the papdis with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, fresh chutneys, onions, tomatoes, sev and cilantro. Add a few pomegranate arils if you are feeling fancy. Every bite is a medley of flavours – crispy, tangy, sweet and completely moreish.

Popular Street Food

Back in India, papdi chaat isn’t the sort of snack that would generally be made completely at home; and why would it be when there is such an amazing range of street food vendors and stalls all across the country serving some of the best flavors you can imagine. Here, however, it is completely different so when I miss these foods I try to recreate them. This version of papdi chaat always reminds me of the good old times so here’s a piece of life’s nostalgia for all of you. 

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Papdi Chaat

Vaishali

A popular street food which could very well be an Indian cousin of nachos. Flour crispies with chickpeas and potatoes and topped with chutneys, yogurt and spices. Finger licking good!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Assemble 5 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 40 papdis does not have to be an exact number, roughly 8-10/person
• ▢ 1 potato, boiled and cubed small about 1 cup cubes
• ▢ 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed or 2 cups boiled chickpeas
• ▢ ½ cup finely diced red onion
• ▢ 1 cup finely diced red onion
• ▢ ½ cup mint cilantro chutney see notes
• ▢ ½ cup tamarind chutney see notes
• ▢ 1 cup yogurt whisked seasoned with sugarsalt and roasted cumin powder
• ▢ 1 lime juiced
• ▢ roasted cumin powder
• ▢ chaat masala
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ ½ cup sev see notes
• ▢ chopped cilantro
• ▢ green chili optional see notes
• ▢ ½ cup pomegranate arils optional

Instructions

 

Prep ahead

• Make chutneys (recipes here). Boil a potato with skin on until just fork tender. Peel and dice or cut into small cubes. Chop onions, tomatoes, cilantro and green chili (if using). Whisk and season the yogurt to taste.

To assemble:

• In a plate, add 8-10 papdis. Add about 2 tablespoon of cubed potatoes and chickpeas. Sprinkle a pinch of salt.
• Add chopped onions, green chili (if using) and tomatoes and squeeze a little bit of lime juice.
• Drizzle about a tablespoon or two of yogurt, sprinkle some roasted cumin powder and chaat masala.
• Top with both the chutneys to your liking.
• Finish with a generous sprinkle of sev and a garnish of cilantro and pomegranate and some more chaat masala.
• Enjoy immediately!

Notes

Mint cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney recipes can be found here.

Sev are fine fried noodles of chickpea flour and can be found at all Indian grocery stores.

Green chili is optional. Depending on your spice level you can choose finely minced jalapeno, serrano or thai chilis.

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Love - Vaishali.

Key Tools and Ingredients:

Chaat Masala: