Papdi Chaat is a widely popular Indian Street Food that’s sweet, savory, and spicy at the same time. It’s an explosion of flavors in your mouth.
What is Papdi Chaat?
Papdi Chaat is a highly popular Indian street food that is prepared with crispy chips, and then topped with potatoes, onions, chickpeas, yogurt, green & tamarind chutneys, along with some spices. Papdi Chaat is a delightful combination of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.
Can I make this recipe vegan, gluten-free?
For vegan: you can omit yogurt, or use a vegan yogurt you love. I’ll be honest, chaat tastes amazing with yogurt.
For gluten-free: there is no gluten-free papdi. You can certainly check your local Desi store to see if they sell them, but I haven’t seen any.
What can I use instead of Papdi in this recipe?
For a healthier option, you may use quinoa, or just make my Quinoa Bhel Salad which is amazing. It tastes just like the real thing.
You can also use homemade chivda that contains sev, murmura, nuts, etc.
I’ve also enjoyed Papdi Chaat using tortilla chips. I know! It actually works out really well when you don’t have papdi on hand.
Lastly, you may use murmura which is super light.
Regardless, all these options have a decent amount of carbs, but the healthiest option is using quinoa.
How do I serve Papdi Chaat?
There are 2 ways to serve:
- Individual Portion – add 7 papdis followed by the remainder of the ingredients. Demonstrated below.
- Family Style – take a large platter – I prefer a round crystal platter. Add lots of papdis followed by all the toppings.
Tips on making Papdi Chaat:
- Prep all the ingredients ahead of time. This is a great dish to serve as an appetizer since all the prep work needs to be done ahead of time.
- Make the Cilantro Chutney – this is the only item I actually make for Papdi Chaat. The rest of the ingredients – I chop or use store-bought.
Ingredients you’ll need for:
Potatoes: I like using russet potatoes for this recipe. Boil the potatoes, but do not over boil them.
Onions: Use red onions and finely chop.
Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas – rinsed & drained. I prefer organic chickpeas in a can.
Yogurt: Dilute the yogurt a little with some water so it’s runny, yet creamy, but not watery.
Cilantro Chutney: You can always buy store-bought, but I recommend making fresh Cilantro Chutney. I have a recipe on my blog – here.
Tamarind Chutney: I buy the Tamarind Date Chutney from my local desi store.
Sev: Crispy snack which is fried and adds a nice crunch to chaat.
Fresh Cilantro: Chop the fresh cilantro which will be used as a garnish.
Spices: I use salt, red chili powder, kala jeera (roasted cumin or regular), and chat masala.
Pomegranate: This is used for garnish and is totally optional. It adds a pretty red color to chaat.
Papdi Chaat is:
Mouthwatering
Delicious
Scrumptious
Crunchy
Savory
Sweet
Spicy
Vegetarian
How to make Papdi Chaat recipe step by step?
Prep
1. Boil and peel the potatoes. Do not overboil the potatoes.
2. Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Chop the red onions. Rinse & drain canned chickpeas.
3. Set aside your pomegranate, thin sev, and chopped fresh cilantro.
4. Here are the spices you’ll need – salt, red chili powder, kala jeera (roasted cumin), and chat masala.
5. Prepare the Cilantro Chutney. You’ll also need Tamarind Chutney – I just use store-bought.
6. Make the yogurt mix with salt, kala jeera (roasted cumin) and chat masala.
Assemble
1. Place 7 papdis on a plate.
2. Top with potatoes, red onions, and chickpeas.
3. Add a generous amount of yogurt.
4. Followed by cilantro and tamarind chutneys.
5. Spice it up with salt, red chili powder, lots of kala jeera, and lots of chat masala.
6. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, sev, and pomegranate.
Pin & Enjoy!
More Chaat Recipes!
Papdi Chaat
Ingredients
prepare the yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk yogurt
- 3/4 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp chat masala
- 1 tsp kala jeera dry roasted cumin
prep ingredients
- 6 russet potatoes boiled, peeled & cubed
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed & drained
- prepared yogurt see recipe above
- fresh cilantro chutney
- tamarind date chutney
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- salt
- red chili powder
- kala jeera
- chat masala
- sev
- 1/2 cup pomegranate for garnish
to assemble - serving per person
- 7 Papdis
- 1/3 cup potatoes boiled & cubed
- 2 tbsp red onions chopped
- 2-3 tbsp chickpeas
- 2/3 cup yogurt I like a lot
- 1 1/2 tbsp cilantro chutney
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamarind chutney
- to taste salt
- 1/4 tsp kala jeera generous amount
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp chat masala
- 2 tbsp sev
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp pomegranate
Instructions
Prep
- Boil and peel the potatoes. Do not overboil the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Chop the red onions. Rinse & drain canned chickpeas.
- Prepare the Cilantro Chutney- recipe here. I used store-bought Tamarind Date Chutney. Dilute the yogurt with a little water so its runny, but still creamy.
- Set aside your pomegranate, sev, and chopped fresh cilantro.
- Here are the spices you'll need - salt, red chili powder, kala jeera (roasted cumin), and chat masala.
Assemble
- Place 7 papdis on a plate.
- Top with potatoes, red onions, and chickpeas.
- Add a generous amount of yogurt.
- Followed by cilantro and tamarind chutneys.
- Spice it up with salt, red chili powder, lots of kala jeera, and lots of chat masala.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, sev, and pomegranate.
Nutrition
A foodie who is passionate about living a healthy-ish lifestyle, cooking, and traveling. You'll find a mix of everything here and lots of seasonal content. I moved from Jersey City leaving behind my family & friends to beautiful Southern California for love. I'm adjusting to the laid-back SoCal lifestyle and learning a lot about myself along the way. Come join me on a soul searching journey and I'll tell YOU "what's cooking" through my love for food, fashion, and travel.
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