Indian Snacks

Chaat is an essential part of Indian street food culture that has evolved over the years to cater to the diverse taste buds of different regions in India. It’s a dish loved by Indians and is a staple version in almost every state and district.  When I visit Mumbai, it is the food I crave.

Chaat’s multifold layers of complex flavors – sweet, spicy, tangy, and savory – are packed in one dish, making it irresistible to taste. It consists of various ingredients, such as potatoes, chickpeas, and yogurt, which are mixed and topped with a variety of spicy and tangy sauces. Chaat is typically served as a street food and is often eaten as a snack or light meal.

The word “chaat” comes from the Hindi word “chatna,” which means “to lick.” This refers to how chaat is typically eaten, with the tangy and spicy sauces and toppings licked off the fingers.  The origins of chaat can be traced back to the royal kitchen of Mughal emperor Shahjahan’s palace; today, Old Delhi’s chaat is famous for its unique taste and is a must-try for visitors.

Types of Chaat

Chaat is a versatile and flavorful snack, with many variations of the dish. Some common types of chaat include:

• Aloo chaat: Aloo chaat is made with boiled and diced potatoes mixed with onions, tomatoes, and spices and topped with chutney, yogurt, and sev (a type of fried noodle).
• Bhel puri: Bhel puri is a popular chaat dish that consists of puffed rice, vegetables, and fried snacks, which are mixed and topped with chutneys, sev, and other ingredients.
• Dahi vada: Dahi vada is made by soaking lentil dumplings in yogurt and spices and then topping them with chutneys, sev, and other ingredients.
• Papri chaat: Papri chaat is a layered chaat dish that consists of crisp fried dough wafers (papris) that are topped with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, and chutneys.
• Pani Puri: Pani Puri consists of small, crisp fried dough balls filled with potatoes, chickpeas, and spices and topped with flavored water or yogurt, chutneys, sev, and other ingredients. Pani Puri is often garnished with herbs and digestive spices,

Chaat, is one of my favorite Indian street foods and often an after-school snack to tide me over till India’s late dinners.

Papads (or Pappadum) are chappathi-sized (ok Tortilla sized) thin, crisp wafers made from lentil flour and accented by spices such as black pepper, cumin, garlic, or chile.   The good news, you can buy them ready to use from most Indian food stores.  Making papad yourself is very labor intensive and requires intensive labor to prep the ingredients, roll them out and dry them in the sun for days.   While I do remember papads drying on the terrace at my grandmother’s house, almost all Indian cooks buy them from the store.

Generally, in North India, they are dry roasted over a flame; in the South, they are fried.   If you’re feeling adventurous, roast them over an open flame.   I tend to cook them on a tava (a convex flat iron griddle) by heating the lava over medium heat, putting the papad on and roasting till it looks like the picture (flip occasionally).   If you want a quick snack, pop Papad into the microwave and cook for 30 secs, flip and cook for another 30 secs.

Want to get fancy?  Serve with any chutney you have handy (or in a pinch, salsa). A favorite snack when I was a kid was using papad to scoop up Indian yogurt. and of course it can also be served with chai.

As long as you don’t fry them, papads offer a healthy snack or an accompaniment to an Indian meal.

Cooking Papad

Heat a pan over medium heat.

1. Place the papad in the pan and cook until they change color (dull yellow to bright yellow) and become crisp.
2. Flip the papad over and cook until they are evenly crisp and golden brown.
3. Remove the papad from the pan and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
4. Serve the papad immediately, garnished with chopped cilantro and accompanied by a chutney or dipping sauce.

Note: You can also cook papadams in the oven by preheating them to 400°F (200°C), placing them on a baking sheet, and baking for 5-7 minutes or until they are crisp and golden brown. Alternatively, deep-fry the papadams in hot oil until they are crisp and golden brown.