Chef Vinod’s Papri Chaat

published Aug 21, 2021
papri chaat on a plate over toasted chips
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Papri is a thin crispy chip made with a simple wheat dough; usually topped with an assortment of vegetables and chutneys and served as a shareable snack between meals.

Serves6

Prep20 minutes

Cook6 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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papri chaat on a plate over toasted chips
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Papri chaat is a popular form of chaat often served in Northern India. Known for its crunchy base, papri is a style of thin chip made with a simple wheat dough. The papri is fried crisply and then topped with an assortment of vegetables and chutneys, served as a shareable snack between meals. 

This recipe from Chef K.N. Vinod — of Indique in Washington, D.C., and Bombay Bistro in Maryland — combines papri (or any crispy, crunchy element of your choice) with boiled potatoes, drained chickpeas, and a variety of chutneys for a bright, tangy dish that encompasses both spice and sweetness.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

Chef Vinod’s recipe calls for tortilla chips as a quick and simple swap-in for papri, but he encourages home cooks to get creative with the crunchy base. He’s often found serving papri chaat at home using Chex Mix! While some chaat purists may scowl at the thought, Chef Vinod has made a name for himself with his whimsical or modern twists on classic Indian dishes and flavors. 

Chef Vinod’s Papri Chaat

Papri is a thin crispy chip made with a simple wheat dough; usually topped with an assortment of vegetables and chutneys and served as a shareable snack between meals.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 6 minutes

Serves 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2

    medium russet potatoes (6 to 7 ounces each)

  • 10 ounces

    corn tortilla chips

  • 2/3 cup

    full-fat plain yogurt

  • 1 teaspoon

    Kashmir chili powder, plus more for garnish

  • 1 teaspoon

    ground cumin, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 8 ounces

    cooked garbanzo beans (about 1 1/3 cups), or 1 (15-ounce) can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans

  • 1/3 cup

    mild or hot green chutney, such as Maazah, plus more for serving

  • 1/3 cup

    tamarind-date chutney, such as Deep, plus more for serving

  • 1/4 cup

    pomegranate arils, or 1/4 cup diced red onion (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon

    chaat masala

Instructions

  1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, peel and cut 2 russet potatoes into rough 1/4-inch cubes.

  2. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and boil until tender, 10 to 13 minutes. Drain in a colander.

  3. Place 2/3 cup plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl and stir until well combined.

  4. Add the potatoes, 8 ounces garbanzo beans, 1/3 cup green chutney, 1/3 cup tamarind chutney, and 1/4 cup pomegranate arils or diced red onion if desired. Stir well to combine.

  5. Place 10 ounces tortilla chips on a large plate. Spoon the chaat mixture over the chips. Garnish with streaks of leftover yogurt as well as more chutney if desired. Sprinkle with more Kashmiri chili powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin.