Dahi Papdi Chaat Recipe

Dahi Papdi chat comes from North India and is a popular Mumbai street-food too. As a child we had this chat en number of times at Juhu Chowpatty-Mumbai carts, also at Vileparle east and at many restaurants and sweetmarts.


Ingredients: (used american measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For dahi papdi chat:

• 24- 30 crisp papdis/ puris
• 3 medium sized potatoes boiled, peeled then mashed or chopped finely (aloo)
• ½ cup boiled mung sprouts or boiled chickpeas (optional)
• 1 cup fresh chilled yogurt (dahi)
• 1 cup mint coriander chutney (hari chutney)
• 1 cup tamarind dates chutney (meetha saunth chutney)
• 1 tbsp red chili powder (mirch powder)
• 1 tbsp roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
• 1 tbsp chat masala powder
• black salt as required
• 1 cup nylon sev
• ½ lime juice
• 2 tbsp fresh pomegranate seed (optional)
• a pinch of dry mango powder (optional) amchur

For the sweet dates-tamarind chutney:

• 1 cup seedless tamarind (imli)
• ½ cup pitted dates (khajur)
• 1 cup powdered jaggery or grated jaggery (gur)
• ½ tsp dry ginger powder (soonth)
• ½ tsp roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna jeera powder)
• ½ cup water
• 1 tsp chat masala
• a pinch of dry mango powder (amchur)
• 2 red kashmiri chilies or 2 t/s red kashmiri red chili powder (sukha lal mirch)
• black salt as required

For the spicy mint-coriander chutney:

• 1 cup coriander leaves (dhaniya)
• 1 cup mint leaves (pudina)
• 1-2 green chili (hari mirch)
• ½ onion or 1 small sized onion (pyaz)
• ½ lime juice (nimbu)
• 1 tbsp sugar (shakar)
• 3-4 garlic cloves (optional) lehsun
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
• black salt as per taste

Instructions:
For Boiling Sprouts:

• Boiling sprouts or chickpeas are optional. I haven't used them but you could use it adds a nutritive value and texture to the dish. If you would like to add them then do soak them for 1 day then pressure cook until they are cooked, soft and tender.

For the Sweetened Yogurt:

• Whisk yogurt until creamy and soft.
• Add some black salt and chat masala for seasoning.

For the Green Mint Coriander Chutney:

• Wash all the greens, chop them and combine all the ingredients into the blender. Blend until smooth mixture is formed add little water if required.
• Don't add too much water as the chutney should be thick and nor too thin.

For the sweet dates tamarind chutney:

• Add dates, tamarind, dry kashmiri chilies in water. Boil until they are soft and tender.
• Allow to cool then remove the seed if there are any of dates and tamarind. Remove the head of the red chilies. Alternatively you could use kashmiri chili powder instead of dry red chilies. I have tried both ways and prefer adding whole kashmiri chilies.
• Now grind the boiled tamarind, dates and kashmiri chilies until smooth. Add little water if required.
• Add the grounded mixture to a pan. Place on medium heat. Add the powdered jaggery and water.
• If using kashmiri chili powder then add now. Simmer for 5-6 mins once the mixture starts getting thicker switch off the gas.
• Add all the spice powders, chat masala and salt for seasoning.

Finally assembling the papdi chat:

• Spread the papdis on the serving dish /plate.
• Place some boiled potatoes over the center of the papdis / puris
• Top some spicy green chutney.
• Now put a spoonuful of sweetend yogurt and sweet tamarind chutney.
• Finally add chat masala, black salt, amchur powder, sprouted moong or chickpeas if using, fresh pomegranate seed if using, sev and coriander leaves. Lastly squeeze lime juice. Repeat the same with the rest of puris.
• Serve the papdi chat at the earliest else they might get soggy if eaten later.