Starter Indian
Papdi chaat with yoghurt, tamarind and mint
Vegetarian
Editorially prepared
Four two-bite papdi topped with potato, chickpeas and thick yoghurt. Sweet-sour tamarind, mint and coriander chutney, and crisp sev make a small, punchy appetiser assembled just before serving.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
One serving is one large, two-bite papdi. Increase the toppings proportionally for more servings. The tamarind chutney deliberately makes extra: use half on the papdi and keep the rest. For a larger quantity of green chutney, use a small blender instead of a mortar. Assemble only as many papdi as you will serve immediately.
Substitutions
Substitute amounts are adjusted to your selected servings.
- Instead of jaggerysoft brown sugar
Can replace jaggery. Start with slightly less and adjust the sweetness to the acidity of the tamarind. The flavour will be less complex and more molasses-like.
- Instead of ready-to-eat papdi crackersplain wheat crackers
As a fallback, choose sturdy, flat crackers of a similar size without cheese or herbs. This is a less traditional variation; the crackers may soften faster, so serve immediately after assembly.
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Optional ingredients and substitutions
You’ll need
small saucepan for the chutney · small pot for the potato · hob with one burner · kitchen scales and measuring spoons · chopping board, knife and peeler · mortar and pestle · sieve · small chutney bowl and a larger bowl for a cold-water bath · yoghurt bowl · plate for cooling the potato · teaspoons · flat serving platter
Method
0/7 stepsCook the tamarind chutney
Measure the tamarind chutney ingredients and finely crumble the jaggery. Combine the tamarind purée, jaggery, chutney water, cumin, ground ginger and salt in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce reaches a gentle simmer, about 3 minutes. From this point, simmer for 6–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth, glossy and beginning to coat a teaspoon. If it is still watery, cook a little longer. Do not reduce it to a paste: it will thicken further as it cools.
08:00Cook the tamarind chutney Cool the chutney
Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and stand it in a larger bowl of cold water, keeping water out of the sauce. Cool for about 20 minutes from placing it in the water bath, until the chutney is no longer warm. Meanwhile, start preparing the potato. If the sauce is still warm after this time, replace the water with cold water and continue cooling. Check its temperature and consistency before assembling the papdi.
20:00Cool the chutney Boil the potato
Wash and peel the potato, weigh out the required amount and cut it into roughly 1 cm cubes. Put in a small pot, add enough water to cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes from boiling. Meanwhile, make the green chutney. At the end of cooking, check the potato: the tip of a knife should slide easily into a cube, but the cube should hold its shape. If the centre is firm, continue cooking and check every 2 minutes.
12:00Boil the potato Pound the green chutney
While the potato cooks, wash and thoroughly dry the coriander and mint. Chop them finely with the chilli and peeled ginger. Pound in a mortar with the salt, then add the lemon juice and green chutney water. Pound for about 5 minutes until you have a thick, moist sauce with very fine herb flecks and no long fibres. Continue pounding if necessary rather than immediately adding more water. Cover and refrigerate until assembly.
Pound the green chutney Drain and cool the potato
Once the potato is tender, drain it thoroughly and spread it in a single layer on a plate. Cool for about 15 minutes from spreading it out, until the cubes are no longer warm and their surfaces are dry. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining toppings. If the potato is still warm, wait before assembling the papdi.
15:00Drain and cool the potato Prepare the toppings
While the potato cools, rinse the chickpeas, drain thoroughly and pat dry. Stir the yoghurt until smooth without thinning it, and keep it in the fridge until assembly. Check the tamarind chutney: it should be cool, sweet-sour and fall from a teaspoon in a thick ribbon. Divide it in half; set one half aside for the papdi and seal and refrigerate the other half for later. Have the sev, chaat masala and platter ready.
Prepare the toppings Assemble and serve
Just before serving, make sure the potato and both chutneys are no longer warm. Arrange the papdi separately on a flat platter. Divide the potato and chickpeas between them, leaving a clear edge. Add the yoghurt, followed by all the green chutney and the half of the tamarind chutney reserved for the papdi. Sprinkle with sev and chaat masala. Serve immediately while the crackers and sev are still crisp.
Assemble and serve
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Tips
- Ideally, make the tamarind chutney the day before. Make the green chutney on the day of serving and assemble the papdi just before taking them to the table.
- Tamarind purée varies in acidity. The finished chutney should taste distinctly sweet and sour; taste it once cool before adding it.
- Do not thin the yoghurt. Dry chickpeas, cool potato and thick chutneys help the papdi stay crisp.
- Do not replace chaat masala with garam masala: it lacks the characteristic tang and saltiness.
- Leave a visible edge on each papdi so it can be picked up. Keep the chutneys on the toppings rather than spreading them across the platter.
Storage
Serve assembled papdi immediately; do not keep them for later. Once cool, seal the tamarind chutney in a container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Make the green chutney on the day of serving and keep it covered in the fridge. Cooked potatoes and chickpeas can be refrigerated separately until the following day. Refrigerate cooked components within 2 hours of preparation. Keep papdi and sev separately in airtight, dry containers.
Timing
Hands-on: 52 min · Cooking: 28 min · Resting: 35 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
