Papdi chaat is a popular North Indian street food snack filled with a variety of mouth-watering textures, flavors and consists of papdi (fried flour crackers), boiled chickpeas, potatoes, chutneys and curd (yogurt.
2 to 3tablespoons wateror add as required, for blending or grinding
Instructions
Cooking the chickpeas
If you wanna add chickpeas to the papdi chaat, then some effort is needed. This is if you don't want to use canned chickpeas.
Rinse chickpeas in water a couple of times. Soak them in 3 cups water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
Later drain the soaked water and rinse the chickpeas again a few time. Add the chickpeas to a 2 litre pressure cooker together with water and salt.
If you want to cook potato, then keep a potato in steel bowl. Place this steel bowl with the potato in it on the chickpeas and water mixture in the cooker. The potato and chickpeas will be cooked together.
Cover the cooker tightly with the lid and pressure cook on medium heat until the pressure starts building and you hear the hissing sound in the cooker. Then lower the heat a bit and pressure cook for 10 to 12 whistles.
When the pressure settles on its own in the cooker then only remove the lid.
Check the potato by piercing it with a knife or fork. It should be tender, soft and the knife or fork should easily pass through it. Lift the potato with a pasta tong and set it aside to cool at room temperature.
Check to see if the chickpeas are cooked. They should have a soft melt-in-the-mouth texture. Drain the water and set the cooked chickpeas aside.
Making the green mint coriander chutney
Blend all the ingredients with very little water to a smooth and fine consistency.
Set aside or refrigerate in a small covered container or jar.
Making the sweet tamarind dates chutney
Boil the tamarind and dates in water.
When they become soft add the jaggery and the spice powders and salt.
Cook further till the jaggery melts.
Switch off the heat and let the mixture cool.
Grind the chutney mixture to a fine and smooth paste. Seive the chutney through a strainer if needed. Add more salt if required.
If the chutney becomes too thick add some water to liquidize it.
Making spicy chili garlic chutney
Peel the garlic cloves and rinse them in water. Add them together with the kashmiri red chilli powder, salt and water to a small blender or chutney grinder jar or a spice grinder.
Blend to a smooth and fine consistency without any tiny chunks or bits.
Transfer the red chutney in a small bowl and set aside.
For assembling papdi chaat
Arrange 6 to 8 papdi in a shallow bowl or plate.
Top it up with some of the chopped boiled potato cubes and cooked chickpeas.
You can add chopped onions and tomatoes at this point, but it is optional.
Sprinkle some chaat masala, roasted cumin powder and optionally kashmiri red chili powder on it, if you want at this step.
Top these with whisked cold curd (yogurt) as you like.
Top it up evenly with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the green chutney as much as you want.
Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sweet tamarind chutney and 1 to 2 teaspoons of the spicy chilli garlic chutney evenly. According to your taste preferences you can add less or more of each chutney.
Sprinkle some chaat masala, red chili powder, cumin powder and black salt or regular salt.
Garnish with coriander leaves and pomegranate arils. Sprinkle sev on top and this step is also optional.
Add a dash of lemon juice to the papri chaat if you prefer.
Serve papdi chaat immediately.
Video
Notes
Swap about 2.5 to 3 cups canned chickpeas or cooked chickpeas with dried chickpeas. Drain the liquids of the canned chickpeas, rinse them and then add to the chaat.
You can omit making the spicy and pungent chilli garlic chutney. But do make the green chutney and tamarind chutney for the chaat.
Personalize and customize the chaat according to your likings and taste preferences. Example add more sweet chutney if you prefer a more sweeter taste in your chaat.
The chutneys can be prepped a day ahead and refrigerated in small covered containers or jars.
You can halve the recipes of the various chutneys. The leftover green chutney keeps well for a couple of days in the refrigerator. The tamarind chutney keeps well for a few weeks in the fridge.
For the papdi, make them yourself or if you have time or purchase from stores or shops.
The recipe can be scaled to make a small batch or a large batch for parties or potlucks.