An Indian snack called papdi (also known as papri), is a savory crispy puri or cracker that is traditionally fried or baked.
Papdi recipes commonly contain cumin seeds (jeera), carom seeds (ajwain), or both. A variety of chaats can be made using this ingredient, and it can also be eaten alone as a snack.
There are a few classic Papdi Recipes that use all-purpose flour (maida) as one of the main ingredients. However, many variations can also be prepared using whole wheat flour (atta) or maida and atta together. Both of these flours are used in equal quantities in my recipe.
There are really only a few ingredients in a Papdi recipe, and the method is quite simple as well. By following the instructions carefully, you can easily make a batch of these fresh, crisp puris at home and share them with your loved ones. And not just Diwali, you can enjoy it in any other festival too.
How to make Papdi
1. Mix 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta), 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida), 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and salt as required.
Rub or mix 2 to 2.5 tablespoons ghee or oil in the dough till you get a breadcrumb like texture in the mixture. This method helps in making the papdis a bit flaky.
2. Add 5.5 to 6 tablespoons water or as required, and knead to a firm tight dough. Keep it covered for 30 minutes.
3. Knead again and then divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
4. Roll each dough portion thin. Using a cookie cutter, cut rounds or different shapes. Remove the extra rolled dough and use to make the rest of the Papdi.
You can also make tiny balls from the whole dough and then roll each into a small puri. But this is time consuming. So, using the cookie cutter makes the work faster.
5. Prick the cut out Papdi with fork, so that they don’t puff while frying and become crisp.
Fry Papdi
6. To fry papdi, slide them in medium hot oil and with the help of a slotted spoon, fry till golden. The sizzling in the oil stops when the papdi are fried.
After you add the papdi to the hot oil, wait for the papdi to become light golden and then turn them over. Turn over when the second side is light golden.
Fry turning over as needed until both the sides are crispy and golden. Make sure the oil is moderately hot as frying in less hot oil will make the papdis absorb more oil.
While frying in a very hot oil will make them brown faster leaving the insides undercooked.
7. Drain the fried Papdi on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. Continue and make more in the similar way.
Bake Papdi
8. To bake papdi, place them in a lightly greased baking tray.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 20 to 25 minutes or till golden. Keep an eye while baking, as sometimes they bake very quickly, especially if rolled very thin.
You can also flip each papdi after baking for 10 minutes and then place them back in the oven to bake further. This ensures that both sides are crispy and evenly baked.
10. Once both the fried and baked Papdi cool to room temperature, add in an air-tight container or jar.
The sev puris are great for making aloo chana chaats, as well as dahi papdi chaats. You could also accompany the meal with masala chai.
The best way for me to enjoy it is to dip it in chai and then eat it.
