Dahi Papdi Chat or Yoghurt Wafer Chat

Dahi Papdi Chat or Yoghurt Wafer Chat

The heat is on. I love summer, the warm temperatures, but I sweat like crazy. In the summer season, nature is full of bright colours, the koel is singing and so is the world around you. Dahi Papdi Chat or Yoghurt Wafer Chat is a refreshing way to stay cool. Dahi is curd or yoghurt is chilled and sweetened for this chat. Chats are native to the north and are mainly street food. Dahi Papdi chat and panipuri are usually sold together. It is ubiquitous in any town or city in North India.

Dahi papdi chat is easy to make if you use readymade papdis or pastry. It is easy and quick to assemble and is a hot favourite for this reason. You just cannot deny yourself, these crisp wafers, topped with a hodgepodge of chana or boiled potatoes. This gives the dish its bulk of carbs and protein. The papdis are dunked in tamarind and mint chutneys with a cascade of yoghurt over them. It is jazzed up with salt and other spices.

If you happen to be in Secunderabad,  don’t miss the Rajasthani vendor who sells Dahi Papdi chat and bhel puri every evening at the Park Street junction. Both are sinfully delicious. This recipe is inspired by that dahi papdi vendor.

Pic Courtesy: Tarla Dalal

What are Papdis?

Papdis are those tiny discs that are made with flour and are deep-fried. You can make a big batch and store it for a few days. Or you can always pick up a pack from the supermarket. The cost of chats is noticeably less than other street food. This could be another reason for its popularity.

Papdi is golden brown, crispy, and crunchy, while the potatoes are off-white and soft, yoghurt is milky white, sweet, and creamy, the chilli powder is red and fiery hot, the dark brown tamarind chutney is sweet and tangy, the dark green mint-coriander chutney is aromatic and zesty, finally, the yellow sev are nibbly and crisp. Now is there any other dish that can boast of so many colours and bursts of flavours and yet, taste heavenly?

A potpourri of Colours, Flavours and Taste

The remarkable aspect of this particular chat is the potpourri of colours, flavours and tastes that blend flawlessly. It surely is a gastronomic experience and delights the taste buds into a hyperactive mode. Since papdi chat is served in different layers and eaten together in one bite. The flavours hit your palate like a smorgasbord.

Break or crush Papdi, is placed as the bottom layer. Pile up the boiled potatoes over this followed by the yoghurt, chopped onion, sprinkle of black salt and red chilli powder. Generously spread the tamarind and mint-coriander chutney (dip or sauce). Garnish liberally with sev and coriander leaves on top and serve immediately. The chat needs to be assimilated only when you are going to serve otherwise it will become soggy and lose its taste.

The following ingredients are only for one plate of Papdi chat; measure this out according to the number of persons you want to serve.

Recipe for Dahi Papdi Chat or Yoghurt Wafer Chat

INGREDIENTS:

5 Papdis

½  a boiled potato chopped diced

Salt to taste

½  an onion chopped finely

¼ tsp  black salt

½  a tomato chopped finely (optional)

Pinch of red chilli powder

½ tsp tamarind chutney

2 tbsps. of chilled, sweetened, creamy yoghurt

½ tsp mint-coriander chutney

1 tbsp Sev

Tamarind chutney

Firstly, heat tamarind pulp and bring it to a boil. It should not be very thick or runny.

Next, add a little jaggery or sugar, salt, red chilli powder, black rock salt if you so desire and cumin or jeera powder. Keep aside to cool.

Mint-Coriander Chutney

1 small cup of fresh mint and coriander leaves, 2 green chillies, 3 garlic cloves, 3 stems of spring onion ( I used garlic greens from my kitchen garden) Make a paste and add 1 tsp lemon juice ( it adds a little sourness and retains the green colour )and salt to taste. You can even add a spoon of tamarind pulp.

METHOD:

The taste of the Papdi chat depends on the art of assimilation and presentation.

The papdi and sev can be store-bought.

What is exceptional in this particular chat is the different colours, flavours and tastes that blend to give a gastronomic experience and tickle the taste buds into overactive mode.

Since papdi chat is served in different layers and eaten all together, the flavours hit your palate like a smorgasbord.

Firstly, crush the papdi into rough pieces and arrange them on a shallow dish or plate.

Next pile on the chopped boiled potatoes, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes is optional.

Dahi Papdi Chat or Yoghurt Wafer Chat

The yoghurt comes next. The Dahi in papdi chat is chilled and it counterbalances the sour chutneys and hot spices.

Now, pour the yoghurt generously over the papdi, potatoes and onions. Sprinkle some sea salt and rock salt with some chilli powder.

Finally, garnish with sev and coriander leaves. Serve  Dahi Papdi Chat or Yoghurt Wafer Chat immediately.

Those who do not like yoghurt can skip it. It tastes just as yum and is known just as Papdi chat.

Keep all the ingredients ready beforehand. Assimilate only when you are going to serve. Soggy dahi papdi is tasteless.

I am participating in #BlogchatterA2Z  by @ Blogchatter 2022

If you haven’t checked out my theme for A2Z 2022, then do check it out here.

My A post is  Ambrosial Pineapple Cream Pudding.  B post is Strawberry Biscuit Pudding.  C is Chana Dal or tadka Dal, D for Thandai Drink, E for How to eat a juicy Mango, F for Frittata, G for Godh Bharai, H for  Homemade Kulfi, I for Mango Icecream, J for watermelon Juice, K for Matar Kulcha, L for Lazy summer days, M for Munjalu, Palm fruit or Ice Apple, N for Natural Munjalu or Ice Apple Sherbet, O for Offbeat Destination Bhopal, P for Shoppers Paradise-Dilli Haat, Q for 10 Quintessential ways to get cooking without sweating, R for Ram Ladoo, S for Sustainable Travel, T for The Lucknow Heritage Trail, U for Understanding Hereditary and genetic factors in Mental health, V for Velvety Mango Sago Floats, W for The Lucknow Food Walk, X or Xtra Heavenly Mango desserts