Recipe Of The Month: Papdi Chaat

Looking for a healthy, delicious, and satisfying recipe that is easy on your joints and muscles? Try this take on Papdi Chaat! Papdi Chaat is a popular North Indian street food made with crispy fried flour crackers (papdi) topped with a variety of flavorful toppings like boiled chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt, chutneys, and fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

• - 20-25 papdi (store-bought or homemade fried flour crackers)
• - 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• - 1 teaspoon sugar
• - 1/3 cup cilantro chutney
• - 1/3 cup sweet tamarind chutney
• - 3/4 cup boiled chickpeas
• - 1 medium boiled potato, cut into cubes
• - 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• - 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• - 1 teaspoon kala namak (black salt)
• - 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• - 2-3 tablespoons pomegranate arils
• - 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• - Thin sev (nylon sev) for garnish

Instructions:

 

• Prepare the Yogurt: In a bowl, whisk 1 cup of plain whole milk yogurt with 1 teaspoon of sugar until smooth. Ensure the yogurt is thick but pourable.
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• Prep the Ingredients: Boil the potatoes and chickpeas, then cut the potatoes into small cubes. If you're short on time, you can use canned chickpeas for convenience.
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• Assemble the Chaat: Arrange 10-15 papdis on your serving plate. Top each papdi with boiled chickpeas and potato cubes. Feel free to add sprouted moong for an extra healthy twist!
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• Add the Yogurt and Spices: Drizzle the yogurt evenly over the papdis. Then, sprinkle cumin powder, chaat masala, kala namak, and Kashmiri red chili powder.
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• Add Chutneys: Drizzle cilantro chutney and sweet tamarind chutney on top of the spices. Adjust the amount of chutney according to your taste preferences.
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• Final Touches: Finish the papdi chaat with a garnish of pomegranate arils, nylon sev, and chopped cilantro for a fresh burst of flavor and crunch.
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• Serve Immediately: Papdi Chaat is best enjoyed fresh, as the papdis can get soggy if left sitting with the toppings.

Tips for Success:

• If you want to speed things up, use store-bought papdi and canned chickpeas.
• Make sure the yogurt and chutneys are of thick consistency to prevent the chaat from becoming too runny.
• Customize the toppings to your liking—add onions, garlic chutney, or even chopped tomatoes for extra flavor.