“Street food, I believe, is the salvation of the human race.” -Anthony Bourdain
Street food. Either you love it or you hate it. I mean is there really a middle ground when it comes to dining out in open, watching the street vendor flip their pans in action as you stand waiting your turn and eat with not a care in the world? Obviously some people have concerns about the cleanliness, which is completely valid, but with their entire kitchen exposed to the public, street vendors have much more to lose if they don’t stay keep up their standards. One thing no one can deny is the flavors and innovation offered by Indian street food vendors. Every time I go to Bombay I see more and more vendors trying something different, whether it’s chicken makhani corn chaat (of course I tried it!), juicing gaana raas off a rickshaw or turning the humble papad into a crunchy, chatpata treat.
Papad, also known as papadum is a round, flat, dry cracker made of lentils. They’re sold uncooked and you can either deep-fry or dry-roast them. They’re generally served plain before a meal or as an accompaniment of staples such as dal chawal. Papads are a pantry staple in most Indian kitchens and with a few basic ingredients you can turn this ordinary food into something fun and different.
Enter, the masala papad. Honestly speaking, sometimes I find it a struggle to whip together last minute Indian appetizers. Many dishes require at least some prep work, whether it’s par cooking potatoes, having chutneys on hand or frying on the spot. And that’s why you are going to loooove this recipe, because 1. It’s super easy 2. It’s super quick and 3. It’s made with basic Indian pantry ingredients. Trifecta!
Masala papads take little to no time to prep and can be assembled within minutes. I dry roasted plain and jeera papads but you could use the green mirchi or black mirchi ones as well. Imagine, mini papads with different flavors, tapas style, or a make your own masala papad station. Let’s be real, the possibilities are endless.
- 4 urad dal papad
- 1 fresh lime, sliced
- ½ cup cucumber, deseeded & finely chopped
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup tomatoes, deseeded & finely chopped
- 1 green chili, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 tablespoon coriander, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon fine sev, for garnish
- Cook the papad, they can be made by deep frying, dry roasted on a pan with a teaspoon of oil for 2 minutes on each side or microwaved for 30-45 seconds on each side. Place on serving tray.
- Prepare the toppings and and sprinkle evenly over papad. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top and garnish with sev.
- Repeat to make more masala papads.
- Serve immediate
Get creative & enjoy!
Looks delicious! You are so adventurous to eat off the food stalls on the roads! I learned my lesson, when I tried a ice cone from a street vendor during a summer visit, never again.
Haha well to be fair I usually only stick to the hot stuff, try and avoid cold stuff unless its gaane ka juice!!
i crave for this all the time..
Isn’t it delish!? Love that it’s so quick to make.