Craving for Guilt Free Snacks? Papdi Chaat is the answer for you.

October 11, 2011

For anyone (and I’d bet that there aren’t many) who has been following my blog since it started, would know that I get these major Food Cravings, and that they are so specific at times that it’s kinda hard. This is one reason why I started cooking in the first place. Coz I at least had access to the ingredients if not the final product. Last night I was craving for this yummy snack packed with flavor that tastes so fresh and never fails to impress. My food memory with this dish is a shop named Super Sweets, where I used to have this dish almost every week. Sadly, the shop closed down but my food craving was so specific that I only wanted the Papdi Chaat from Super Sweets. So, here’s my take on the famous Super Sweets Papdi Chaat.

Papdi Chaat
Serves 4-5

Ingredients :
 250 gm ready made Papdi/Puri, or you could also make it
250 gm Nylon Sev
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
2 Large Tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Large Potatoes, Boiled and roughly chopped/mashed. Sprinkle lightly with chaat masala and salt.
½ cup Boondi, soaked in water (optional)
1 cup boiled sprouts of choice (optional)
4 teaspoons Red Chili powder
4 teaspoons Roasted Cumin Powder (roast cumin seeds on a hot pan and grind them to a powder)
6 teaspoons Chaat Masala
Salt to taste
1 ½ cups Thick Yogurt
1 teaspoon Sugar
½ cup Cold Water

For the Sweet Chutney:
 8-10 de-seeded dates soaked in warm water for 30 minutes.
An inch of Tamarind soaked in warm water for 30 minutes.
2 inches of Jaggery (cut into small pieces)/4 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Oil
2 teaspoons Sugar (Omit if not using jaggery)
A pinch of Asafoetida
½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
A pinch of Salt

 For the Green Spicy Chutney:
 2 cups Coriander (Leaves, stalk, roots et all. Just nicely wash them)
1 cup Mint leaves.
1 Small Onion, roughly cut
3 Small Green Chilies
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
¼ cup Water.

Note : You can buy the Green chutney and the Sweet chutney readymade from stores 🙂 Also, for people who cannot get their hands on Papdi, I would recommend using any thin savory flaky biscuits!
Method:
For the Sweet Chutney : Grind the dates and the de seeded Tamarind with some water to make a thin paste (You could also use a tablespoon of Tamarind paste instead of the soaked Tamarind). Reserve the residual water in which the dates and the tamarind has been soaking. Strain if needed. In a small pan heat up the Oil and add the Cumin seeds, followed by the Asafoetida and the Red Chili powder. Then pour in the date and tamarind mixture, and add in the jaggery, sugar and salt. Mix till the jaggery dissolves, taste and adjust if you need any more sweetness. Let the chutney cool in the refrigerator.
For the Green Chutney : Add all ingredients to the grinder and process it well. That easy.
Assembling the Papdi Chaat: Whisk the Yogurt with the ½ cup Water and Sugar. Set aside.
In your dish, (I suggest using a dish with rims on the side or a flat bowl. You could make this in one large bowl and serve it family style or break it up in to 4-5 individual portions.) break the Papdis.
Add in your Potatoes, Onions and Tomatoes. I like extra Tomatoes! You could also add in your boiled sprouts here. I did not get my hands on them so I skipped them.
Now add in your soaked boondi, Green Chutney and Sweet Chutney, just putting them by the spoon around the whole assembly.Sprinkle some Red Chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Chaat Masala and a little Salt.
Now pour that lusciously silky Yogurt mixture over the top. Yum.
Sprinkle a nice thick layer of Sev, followed by some more sprinklins of Red Chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Chaat Masala and Salt. Garnish with Chopped Coriander and some more Chopped Tomato.
Ideally I let it sit in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes but you can dig right into it if all your ingredients are cold 🙂 Or even if they aren’t, it’s safe to have this one right away! I made a huge second portion in a dabba which got over soon enough 😐
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