Popodom (Papar) and Salad Snack
Papar aur Salad Chaat
Mamta Gupta
This starter is a nice way of serving Papars (Popodoms) 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
8urad/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 Chutney or Tomato Ketchup or Tamarind Chutney 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 Chaat Selection.