Street food in India is a category all its own. When you walk through the winding back roads of Mumbai or Delhi and see people lining up for something to eat, you become obsessed with finding out what it is. And boy, do you ever get surprised every time. No need for Michelin guides, city guides, or otherwise — it’s like having dinner at a Chinese restaurant alongside locals: you just know the food will be good.
The first time I tried pani puri in Delhi, I could not stop eating it. You order two as a trial, eat them, and then have another, and another. The complexity of flavours — sweet, salty, spicy, filled with potatoes, chickpeas, and various chutneys — never ceases to impress.
You can easily make it at home and turn this street food into a full course at a dinner party, with great success. Healthy, too: the combination of legumes in the chickpeas, steamed potatoes, fresh herbs, freshly cut red onion and tomatoes, topped with a dash of sev — those crisp fried chickpea noodles — becomes quite addictive. Make it for your next dinner party. The dish requires a few ingredients you don’t necessarily keep on hand, but the result is well worth the effort.
INGREDIENTS
- 100 grams papdi chaat chips, as a base
- 2 small boiled potatoes, cut in cubes
- 1 small red onion cut into cubes
- 1 small tomato, cut in cubes
- 150 grams chickpeas (canned works well)
- 1 handful mint leaves, finely minced
- 1 handful coriander leaves, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons yogurt
- 3 tablespoons tamarind chutney
- 1 teaspoons chaat masala
- 4 tablespoons spicy sev, sprinkled on top
PREPARATION
Build the base:
Arrange the 100 grams papdi chaat chips, as a base on a long serving dish as the foundation of the dish.2
Add potatoes, tomato, and chickpeas: Scatter the 2 small boiled potatoes, cut in cubes over the papdi, followed by the 1 small tomato, cut in cubes and 150 grams chickpeas (canned works well).
Layer yogurt and tamarind chutney: Spoon the 3 tablespoons yogurt generously over the top, then drizzle with the 3 tablespoons tamarind chutney.
Add the chaat masala: Sprinkle the 1 teaspoons chaat masala over everything — this is what brings the dish to life.
Finish and serve: Finish with the minced 1 handful mint leaves, finely minced and 1 handful coriander leaves, finely minced, then top generously with the 4 tablespoons spicy sev, sprinkled on top. Serve right away, while the papdi is still crisp.
Notes
Papdi chaat crisps and sev can be found at Indian specialty grocers. Keep them on hand for this dish. Serve immediately after assembling so the papdi stays crisp.
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