Indian Papdi Chaat

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
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Updated on 12/28/22
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Chaat is a generic term that encompasses many versions of a sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy dish that is served throughout the Indian subcontinent. With as many versions as there are cooks, traditions, and personal preferences, chaat can be a snack between meals but also a meal in itself, depending on the serving size and how loaded with ingredients it is. Our recipe brings you a papdi chaat, in which tangy, hot, and sweet flavors combine to make a delicious snack that's popular in northern India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

It's also known as papri chaat or paapri chaat and the first part of the name refers to the wafers used as the base. Chaat is an indication of the type of dish: in Hindi, chaat means "to lick," so it's understandable that this is such a finger-licking-good dish. Usually made with a crunchy base, chaats are topped with sauces, yogurt, and chutneys and sprinkled with crunchy ingredients like fried potatoes, chickpeas and sev. Vegetables are also an important part of the equation, and a sprinkle of chaat masala or other powdered spices is key to finish off the dish.

Our recipe calls for making your own papdi, which are then topped with yogurt, potatoes, mashed chickpeas, vegetables, and chutneys. Find prepared chutneys and sev in some upscale grocers, Indian stores, or online, but don't miss out on the wonderful crunchiness these little noodles add to your dish.

Papdi chaat recipe

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Ingredients

For the Papdi Dough:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup ghee

  • 1 teaspoon onion seeds

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/3 cup water

  • Vegetable oil, canola, or sunflower oil, for frying

For the Toppings:

  • 5 large potatoes

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For Assembling and Serving:

  • 2 cups fresh yogurt, whisked until smooth

  • 2 red onions, finely chopped

  • 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

  • 1 cup tamarind chutney

  • 1 cup mint-coriander chutney

  • 2 cups fine sev, or gram flour

  • 2 teaspoons red chili powder

  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, gently roasted and ground

  • 3 teaspoons powdered black rock salt

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Make the Papdi Dough

  1. Gather the dough ingredients.

    Ingredients for papdi chaat dough
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  2. Mix the flour, ghee, onion seeds, and salt in a bowl. Add the water, a spoonful at a time, and knead until you get a firm, smooth dough.

    Add water
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  3. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

    Cover with damp cloth
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  4. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls. Roll the dough balls between your palms until smooth.

    Ball dough
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  5. Lightly flour a clean rolling surface and press one ball flat.

    Flour rolling surface
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  6. Roll the dough balls out into 1/4-inch-thick circles using a rolling pin.

    Roll dough out
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  7. Use a circular cookie cutter to cut out small circles, fitting as many as you can in each rolled out dough circle. Place them on a lightly floured tray or plate.

    Use circular cookie cutter
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  8. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

    Repeat til dough is used up
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  9. Heat the oil for frying in a deep pan over medium heat.

    Heat oil
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  10. When the oil is hot, add the papdi a few at a time and fry until they are crisp and pale golden.

    Add papdi
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  11. Drain on paper towel.

    Put on paper towels
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  12. Repeat until all papdis are made and set aside.

    Put in container
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Prepare the Toppings

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for toppings
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  2. Wash, peel, and dice the potatoes.

    Dice potatoes
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  3. In a medium pot, add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Boil until fork-tender.

    Add potatoes to pot
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  4. Drain and set aside.

    Drain and set aside
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  5. Boil the chickpeas covered with water until fork tender. Drain and place in a small bowl. If using canned chickpeas drain and place in a bowl.

    Drain
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  6. Using a fork or a masher, mash the chickpeas to a coarse texture. Use a pinch of salt if preferred.

    Mash chickpeas
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Assemble the Papdi Chaat

  1. Set up all of the components in a comfortable workspace: papdis, toppings, and sauces.

    Assemble
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  2. Using 5 to 6 papdis per person arranged on a plate, pour one tablespoon of yogurt on top of each papdi.

    Dip papdis in yogurt
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  3. Top each papdi with a teaspoon of cooked potato, some mashed chickpeas, onions, and tomatoes.

    Put potato on
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  4. Drizzle one teaspoon each of tamarind and mint chutney on each papdi.

    Drizzle tamarind
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  5. Sprinkle a handful of sev all over the papdis on the plate.

    Sprinkle sev
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  6. Sprinkle red chili powder, powdered cumin, and black rock salt on the papdis and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.

    Sprinkle garnish
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  7. Serve immediately and enjoy.

    Papdi chaat
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How to Store the Papdis

The papdis—without any toppings—can be stored for a few weeks if kept in an airtight container. But once the dish is assembled it needs to be consumed right away for best flavor.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1359 Calories
46g Fat
201g Carbs
44g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1359
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g 59%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 1457mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 201g 73%
Dietary Fiber 27g 98%
Total Sugars 45g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 77mg 383%
Calcium 436mg 34%
Iron 15mg 81%
Potassium 3670mg 78%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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