Papri Chaat with Chickpeas, Yogurt and Tamarind Chutney
Crisp fried papri topped with spiced chickpeas, potato, cool yogurt and sweet-sour tamarind chutney. A quick street-style snack that is ready in minutes once the papri are made.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, rolling pin, fork, deep frying pan or karahi, slotted spoon, small saucepan, whisk
Method
Mix the flour, semolina, ajwain and salt in a bowl. Rub in 2 tbsp oil until the mixture looks like damp breadcrumbs.
Add the warm water a spoonful at a time and knead into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough in two and roll each piece very thin, about 2 mm, on a lightly floured surface. Prick all over with a fork so the papri do not puff up.
Cut into rounds with a 5 cm cutter or a small glass, or into small squares. Re-roll the trimmings once.
Heat the frying oil over medium-low heat until a scrap of dough sizzles gently and rises slowly. Fry the papri in batches, turning often, until pale golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Let them cool fully; they crisp further as they cool.
Toss the chickpeas and potato cubes in a bowl with the chaat masala, roasted cumin, red chilli powder and a pinch of salt.
To serve, spread the papri on a platter and scatter the chickpea and potato mixture over them. Spoon on the yogurt, then drizzle with tamarind and green chutneys.
Top with onion, tomato, green chilli, coriander, sev and pomegranate seeds. Serve straight away so the papri stay crunchy.
Cooking tips
- Prick the rolled dough thoroughly and fry on gentle heat; hot oil browns the outside before the inside dries, leaving soft papri.
- Keep the yogurt cold and the papri fully cooled before assembling for the best contrast of textures.
- Roll the dough as thin as you can without tearing; thick papri turn hard rather than crisp.
- Assemble each plate just before eating, as the yogurt softens the papri within a few minutes.
Substitutions
- Use ready-made papri from a bakery or store to skip the frying.
- Replace the boiled chickpeas with boiled white chana or a mix of chickpeas and boiled moong.
- Use thick hung yogurt or add a spoonful of cream if your yogurt is thin.
- Swap semolina for extra flour if you do not have it; the papri will be slightly less crisp.
Serve with
Serve as an afternoon snack or Ramadan iftar starter, with a glass of chilled lemonade or doodh soda.
Storage
Store fried, cooled papri in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep chutneys, yogurt and the chickpea mixture separately in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Do not reheat assembled chaat. Re-crisp stored papri in a 150°C oven for 5 minutes, cool, then assemble fresh.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Not shown for this recipe because it can’t be estimated reliably (for example, oil absorbed during deep frying varies a lot).
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