Papri Chaat

Ingredients
Papri/Papdi (Yields about 40-50 papris)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sooji (semolina)
1/4 cup atta (all-purpose flour)
1/2 tsp ajwain (carrom seeds)
3/4 tsp fine salt
2-3 tbsp canola/vegetable oil (see method )
1/3 cup+1 tbsp luke warm water (see method)
Oil for frying
Note : Ajwain or Carrom Seeds aid in digestion & add a typical aroma & taste to the
dough.
You can skip them if you dont have them & still make the papris.

Assembling a Papri Chaat Platter to Serve 2 :-

12-15 papris
1/4 cup boiled Chickpeas
1 small potatoes, boiled , peeled & cubed
1/2 cup plain yogurt whisked with 2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp Imli (Tamarind) Chutney
Ingredients:

2 tbsp Hari (Green) Chutney
Chopped Onion, cilantro (or veggies of choice)
1/4 tsp Kala Namak (black salt, available at indian stores)
1/4 tsp Chaat Masala (available at indian stores)
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
Besan Sev (Chickpea flour snack, available at indian stores, optional)

Method
Making Papris
In a bowl, mix together the flours, ajwain & salt. Start with 2 tbsp of oil and start working
it into
the mixture. Keep on adding oil a teaspoon at a time & working it into the flour till you
are just able to form a firm ball of the flour between your fingers.
Next, slowly add the water (1/4 cup to start with) and start kneading the dough. We are
looking
for a firm dough here (not soft & pliable).Knead the dough on a hard surface for about 3-
4
minutes. Do not over knead. When just kneaded, the dough will appear tight & hard but
don't worry,
after resting it will be okay.
Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp cloth & let rest for at least 20
minutes. (do
not skip this step)
Divide the rested dough into about 3 equal parts. Take one part and roll it into a thin
sheet. The
sheet should be rolled as thin as a cotton cloth. Once rolled, if you want you can prick
the sheet
with a fork to prevent puffing while frying. I prefer papris slightly puffed so I do not prick.
Use a
round cookie cutter or a jar lid to cut into round shapes. Transfer the rounds to a plate &
place
covered with damp cloth till you are about to fry. Gather the remaining dough & repeat
rolling &
cutting till whole of the dough is exhausted. Repeat the same for all portions of the
dough.
Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. The quantity of oil used should be enough to
cover
the papris completely while they fry. To check the temperature of oil, pinch a little dough
& tip it
into the heating oil. The dough should sizzle to the top slowly without changing color. If
it sizzles
immediately, reduce the heat & let the oil temperature come down.
Tip in the cut papris into the heated oil, few at a time. Do not overcrowd or stack the
papris in
the frying pan. Fry the papris on medium-low heat until both sides are golden brown
(about 3-5
minites). Papris should be fried at medium- low heat else they will become soft after
cooling.
Remove browned papris with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a paper
towel to
soak up excess oil. Fry all the papris in batches.
Cool completely & immediately store in an air tight container for up to 4 weeks.
For assembling chaat :-
Layer the papris in a plate. You can crush them into bite size pieces if you want or make
individual servings. Top with boiled chickpeas & potatoes. Drizzle with yogurt, chutneys
& chopped
onions. Sprinkle kala namak, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder & red pepper flakes
if using.
Top up with chopped cilantro & sev. Serve immediately.