Spicy Poppadom and Salad Chaat (Indian Street Food)
Papar aur Salad Chaat
This starter is a nice way of serving Papars (Poppadoms) and a crunchy salad together. Here I give a rough idea of ingredients, you can use any salad/chaat toppings of your choice. Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 urad/urid dal papars. You can use 2-3 inch pieces of any ordinary papars
- 1 firm tomato, seeds removed and finely chopped (seeds and pulp make the papars go soggy quickly)
- 1 small, red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 chilli, finely chopped
- A handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. lime juice (too much will make salad too moist and papars soggy)
- A pinch of salt
- A sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
- A little Apple (or Other Fruit) Chutney or Tomato Ketchup or Tamarind (Imli) Chutney or Sauce or Ketchup or a vinagrette dressing of choice
Instructions
- Cut each Papar into 4 pieces using scissors.Keep aside.
- Chop finely and mix tomatoes, green chillies, onions, coriander leaves, salt, pepper and lime juice. Keep aside. If keeping in the fridge, cover with a cling film or tight lid. Otherwise, everything in the fridge will smell of onions.
- Toast the Papars under a hot grill or on a gas stove plate, turning over a few times. Alternatively, cook in a microwave for 1 minute on full power. You may need less or longer. You can also deep fry them, but this makes the snack a little too heavy for my liking.
- Just before serving, spread Papars out on a serving platter so they do not overlap.
- Top all Papars with spoonfuls of the salad mix.
- Serve immediately topped with a small dollop of tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.
- This dish does not keep, because the papars get soft after a few minutes.
Notes
- You can experiment with other toppings. Add chopped apples or other salads and fruits. It is a good idea to add a little lemon/lime juice to chopped fruit to avoid discolouration.
- Also see A Collection of Indian Spicy Street Food (Chaat) Recipes.