7/29/2019 Chaats.doc

1/6

Pani puris

Pani puris are a great snack, served as chat and found on roadside food carts all over

India. They are served filled with spicy water, chickpeas and potatoes.

Makes about 60 puris.

Ingredients:

Pani (Spicy Water): 1 cup mint leaves (Pudina)

2 to 4 green chilies (adjust to taste)

3 tablespoons tamarind paste (Imli)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon black salt

1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

1/8 teaspoon asafetida (Hing)

1 tablespoon roasted cumin seed powder

1 tablespoon sugar (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4 cups water (adjust to taste)

Puris:

1/4 cup All Purpose flour (Maida or Plain Flour)

3/4 cup fine Sooji (Semolina Flour)

1/2 cup water (as needed)

Method:

1. Pani (Spicy Water):Blend everything except the water together to make a fine paste. While blending,

add water as needed to blend.2. Taste to adjust the green chilies as they can be mild or hot. Add more lemon juice,

sugar, and salt as needed to your desired taste. Remember you will be addingmore water to dilute so paste should be spicier. Strain the paste using water as

needed.3. After straining mix the paste with remaining water or adjusting to the taste.

4. The pani (water) will taste best if refrigerated for a day.

1

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/pani_puri.jpg

7/29/2019 Chaats.doc

2/6

Puris:

1. Mix the flour and sooji. Add water as needed to make firm dough. Knead the

dough until it is pliable. Cover the dough with a damp cloth for about ten minutes.2. Damp two kitchen towels, spread one damp towel over a cookie sheet or plain

surface, close to where you are going to fry the puris.3. Divide the dough into about 60 small balls. Keep them under a damp cloth.

4. Start rolling each ball to about a 2-inch diameter circle. Place over a damp toweland cover with another damp towel. Do this for all 60 puris. TIP: Placing thepuris between damp cloths helps the puris to puff evenly on all sides.

5. Heat the oil on medium high heat. Oil should be about 1 1/2 inch high in fryingpan. To test the oil, put a little piece of dough in the oil. The oil is ready if the

dough comes up right away and does not change color.

6. Start frying the puris, starting first with the puri you first rolled.7. Put one puri in the oil and press lightly. When it puffs turn over and put another

puri in the oil. Keep adding six to eight puris at a time. Fry the puris until they are

golden-brown all around by turning a few times. You may adjust the heat asneeded while frying.

8. Take the puris out and place over paper towel, so the excess oil is absorbed. TIP:When taking the puris out of the frying pan, make sure to tilt the skimmer so

that the excess oil is drained before placing on the paper towel.

9. Fry all the puris. They should be crisp and puff like a ball.

How to Serve:

Pani puris are served by making a small hole in each puri. Fill the puris with boiled and

chopped potatoes, or boiled chickpeas. Finish by filling each puri with the spicy pani

(water). Enjoy!

Papadi Chaat

My kind of food and there are so many kinds of chaat. Chaat can be found on roadside

food carts all over India. Chaat is basically different varieties of snacks served withtamarind orhari (cilantro) chutney or with hot spice mix. The definition of chaat literally

is to taste.

This particular chaat, Papdi Chaat, is made of crispy wafers garnished with a delicious

combination of potatoes, chickpeas, seasoned yogurt, and flavorful spices and chutneys.

Recipe serves 4 to 6

2

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/06/29/tamarind-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/02/04/cilantro-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/papdi_chat.jpghttp://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/06/29/tamarind-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/02/04/cilantro-chutney/

7/29/2019 Chaats.doc

3/6

Ingredients:

Papdi:

1 cup all purpose flour (maida or plain flour)

1/4 cup semolina flour (sooji)

2 tablespoons oil 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoon lukewarm water

To garnish the papdi:

Boiled potato, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (about the thickness of a quarter

or 1/16)

Boiled or canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

Plain yogurt

Salt

Roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna jeera) Red chili powder

Hari cilantro chutney (recipe available on my site)

Tamarind chutney (recipe available on my site)

Method

Papdi:

1. In a bowl mix flour, sooji, salt and oil.

2. Add the water a little at a time while kneading until it forms a firm dough

3. Cover the dough and set aside for 15 minutes or more.

4. Divide the dough into about 3 equal parts.5. Take one section of the dough and roll it into 8 diameter, fairly thin about

thickness of dime. Do the same with the remaining 2 parts.6. Prick firmly the rolled dough about 1/4 inch apart with a fork, (this is done so the

papdi do not puff while frying) and cut them in about 1 1/2 squares with a sharp

knife.

7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.8. The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready,

just put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should sizzle right away but

come up to the surface slowly. If the dough rises immediately, let the oil coolslightly and try again.

9. Make sure to place just enough papdi to cover top of the oil in the frying pan in a

single layer. Dont overcrowd. Fry the papdi until both sides are a light golden-brown.

10. Remove cooked papdi with a slotted or mesh spoon and transfer to a plate.

11. Continue cooking the remaining papdi in batches until all the dough is gone.12. After the papdi cool to room temperature they should be crisp.

13. Papdi can be stored in airtight container for 1 month.

3

7/29/2019 Chaats.doc

4/6

Note:

If you want to make round papdi, divide the dough in about 30 equal parts and roll them

individually into 2 1/2 inch rounds. Prick with a fork in about 4 to 5 places

Garnish

1. Mash the chickpeas lightly with the back of a fork and mix with hari (cilantro)

chutney to your taste. Keep aside.

2. Put the yogurt into a bowl and mix with a fork or whisk until very smooth. Usesome milk as needed to make a consistency similar to pancake batter. Add salt to

taste. Keep aside.

3. Arrange the papdi on a large plate.4. Place a slice of potato on top of each papdi (does not need to be the exact size).

5. Now place half a teaspoon of the chickpea mixture over each potato.

6. Drizzle yogurt over each papdi.

7. Sprinkle roasted cumin powder, and red chili to your taste.

8. Finish the papdi chat by drizzling with tamarind chutney.

Enjoy!

Spinach Chaat

Spinach pakoras are delicious as a snack. Spinach pakoras can be served many different

ways and they always taste great. One of my favorite ways to serve these pakoras ispapdichaat.

Recipe makes about 30 pieces

Ingredients

For Batter

cup gram flour (basen)

1 tablespoon corn starch (arrow root powder)

teaspoon salt adjust to taste

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)

About 3/4 cup water

Also need

About 30 fresh spinach leaves

Oil to fry

Method

4

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/02/04/cilantro-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/02/04/cilantro-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/06/29/tamarind-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/02/04/cilantro-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/02/04/cilantro-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/06/29/tamarind-chutney/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/

7/29/2019 Chaats.doc

5/6

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together: besan, corn starch, black pepper, cumin

seeds, asafetida, and salt. Corn starch adds to the crispness.

2. Add the water slowly to make a smooth batter (batter should be thin consistency).3. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.

4. The frying pan should have at least 1 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready,

put one drop of batter in oil. The batter should come up but not change color rightaway.

5. Dip the spinach leaf into the batter one at a time, making sure it is covered by the

batter completely; wipe it from side of the batter bowl making sure batter isevenly spread over spinach. Then, slowly drop in the slices into the frying pan.

6. Fry the pakoras in small batches. The pakoras will take about 2 to 3 minutes to

cook.

7. Turn them occasionally. Fry the pakoras until both sides are golden-brown.8. The crispy, delicious pakoras are now ready to serve.

9. They can be stored for several days in air tight container.

Tips

If oil is too hot pakoras will not be crispy; if oil is not hot enough, pakoras will be greasy.

Serving Suggestions

1. Spinach pakoras can be served as chips with your choice ofdipping sauce.

2. Spinach crisp can also be served aspapdi chaat.

Spinach Triangles Cheese Crackers

Spinach crackers are crisp flavored with cheese and mildly spiced makes tasty snack.

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour (maida, plain flour)

cup semolina (fine sooji)

teaspoon salt

teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoon butter teaspoon cumin seeds

teaspoon chili flakes

cup grated parmesan cheese

cup spinach puree

Oil to fry

Method

5

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/category/chutneys-pickles/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/spinach_triangle_cheese_crackers.jpghttp://www.manjulaskitchen.com/category/chutneys-pickles/http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/22/papdi-papri-chat/

7/29/2019 Chaats.doc

6/6

1. Mix all purpose flour, semolina, salt, chili flakes, cumin seeds, and baking soda in

a bowl together.

2. Add the butter and parmesan cheese, mix well it will be consistency of breadcrumb.

3. Add the spinach puree and make firm dough.

4. Set the dough aside and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at leastten minutes.

5. Divide the dough in 16 equal parts and make them into balls.

6. Roll the dough about into a 5-inch circle.7. Slice the each roll dough in 4 pieces in triangle shape.

8. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

9. The frying pan should have at least 1 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready,

put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should make the oil sizzle and

come up slowly.

10. Make sure to place just enough chips so you can turn them over easily when

frying. Fry the chips until both sides are light golden in color.

11. After chips come to room temperature they should become crisp.

Tips:

1. Spinach chips can be stored for weeks in airtight containers.

2. If the chips are cooked on high heat, they will be soft.

6