How to make Papad Bhel Salad Recipe

See Recipe In हिन्दी (Hindi)

There is more than just one way of savouring papad and Papad Bhel is one such wonderful recipe. It is an assortment of chopped onion, tomatoes and boiled potatoes, to which crushed Papad adds crunchiness, turning it into an irresistible snack.

The idea of coming up with this recipe came to me when my children demanded ‘Papri Chaat‘. Since I did not want them to consume the deep fried ‘papris’, I thought of trying something light and healthy. This was when I went for crispy Papads and added them to a chaat. Moreover, it is the best way to go beyond the conventional route of having papad, which Indians mostly tend to enjoy as accompaniments, either with meals or as a standalone snack.

Since I tend to visit fairs a lot, the ones, which are held throughout the year, I usually have a whole lot of papad stocked at home. To make use of excess papad, I mix them in chaats, just another of my ways to turn the surplus into a scrumptious snack. Then there are instances when my husband’s friends join us to watch World Cup together at our house. This is exactly when I try my hand at such chaats, which are easy to prepare, taking only 10-15 minutes. Moreover, it is really a saviour when guests arrive uninvited and uninformed. As the ingredients are very basic, stocked in the pantry, there will never be any problem, arranging for a snack as delectable as a Papad Bhel.

Preparing this fun-food has a definite way, with the papad cut into long strips of about ¼-inch thickness. To ensure a healthy eating, I usually take out the excess oil from the fried papads by soaking the surplus oil with an absorbent paper. If you are a health freak, try this way of preparing the quick treat. I am sure you would love it.

For the tanginess and tartness, I have added spices like chaat masala to it, all of which are easily available. Apart from this, you could garnish the overall zesty fusion with freshly chopped coriander leaves for that wonderful essence. However, make sure that the fried papad does not get crumbled and soggy; otherwise, the chaat will lose crunchiness. To ensure this, Papadum should be added to the eclectic mixture just before serving it to guests. This way, the crispy element remains intact and the appetiser tastes yummy.

How to make Papad Bhel:

• Take one large size papad and fold and break into half
• Cut papad with the sharp knife into long stripes and ¼ inch thickness.

• Heat oil in a pan and fry papad stripes for few seconds by turning continuously. Fry papad in batches so that it gets evenly cooked.

• Take out all the fried papad on the absorbent paper so that excess oil gets absorbed and set aside.

• In a mixing bowl put finely chopped (onion, tomato, potato) and all the spices- Chaat masala, salt to taste, freshly chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice and sev, Mix it well.

• At the time of serving add fried papad, mix it gently so that papad does not get break untill all the spices get well combined.

• Do not keep the mixture for longer time after mixing the papad otherwise papad will loose its crunchiness and will become soggy.

Note:

• If you want to add green chilly then add it accordingly.
• You can also store fried papad in an airtight container.

See Recipe In हिन्दी (Hindi)