Papads Recipe
Meals commence with Papads, Chaat and Bitings, before Kebabs, Matka and Karahi, followed by Biryani and Pilau.
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Ingredients
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Papads & Frying
Chaat Toppings & Accompaniments
Method
Papads & Frying
- 1
Heat the oil
Pour the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan to a depth of about 2–3 inches. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches roughly 180–190°C (350–375°F) or until a small piece of bread sizzles and browns in about 5–7 seconds. Keep the oil at a steady medium-high heat for crisp papads.
- 2
Fry the papads (one at a time)
Using tongs, hold one papad at the edge and gently slide it into the hot oil. Press lightly with the tongs so it puffs, then release and let it float. Fry for about 10–20 seconds, flipping once, until the papad is evenly golden and crisp. Remove immediately and drain on a paper towel-lined tray. Repeat with remaining papads in batches, keeping finished papads on a wire rack or paper towel to stay crisp. (Total frying time per papad is short — watch carefully to avoid burning.)
- 3
Alternative: roast or pan-toast
If you prefer not to deep-fry, roast papads directly over an open flame, on a dry skillet/tawa over medium heat, or under a broiler. Place papad on the heat and turn frequently with tongs until puffed and evenly browned (1–2 minutes). No oil required. This method keeps them lighter but still crisp.
Chaat Toppings & Accompaniments
- 4
Boil and prep potatoes
Place the 2 medium potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then simmer 12–15 minutes until a fork pierces easily. Drain, let cool slightly, peel (if not peeled earlier), and cut into small 1 cm cubes. Keep warm or at room temperature for assembly.
- 5
- 6
Chop and measure fresh ingredients
Finely chop the red onion, tomato and fresh coriander. Measure out the green chutney, tamarind chutney, sev, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, black salt and red chili powder so assembly is quick.
- 7
Assemble papad chaat
For each serving, place 2 fried or roasted papads on a shallow plate (keep them flat). Spoon an even layer of cubed boiled potato over each papad (about 2–3 tbsp potato per papad). Scatter a tablespoon each of chopped onion and tomato over the potatoes.
- 8
Dress with yogurt and chutneys
Drizzle the whisked yogurt over the topped papads (roughly 2–3 tbs per papad). Dot or drizzle green chutney and tamarind chutney in alternating lines or spoonfuls for flavor contrast (about 1–2 tbs of each chutney across the papads per serving).
- 9
Finish with spices and crunch
Sprinkle chaat masala (about 1/2 tsp per serving), roasted cumin powder (about 1/4 tsp), black salt (a small pinch or ~1/8 tsp), and a light dusting of red chili powder (to taste) over the papads. Generously top with sev for crunch (about 1/4 cup per serving) and scatter chopped coriander. Serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze over just before eating.
- 10
Serve immediately
Serve papad chaat right away so the papads remain crisp. If preparing for a group, keep the papads and toppings separate until a few minutes before serving and assemble in small batches to preserve crunch.
