Papdi

Small crisp discs, built for a chaat.

What it is

Papdi are small, crisp, flat discs of fried dough — the crunchy base of papdi chaat, topped with potato, chickpea, yogurt, chutneys and sev. Plain and neutral on their own, they exist to carry and scoop the wet, tangy toppings of a chaat.

Where it comes from

Papdi belong to the street-food chaat tradition of the north. They are the structural crunch beneath the layered toppings — the plate you can eat.

What it's called

Papdi · papri. Fried discs of wheat (maida) dough, sometimes with ajwain.

In the kitchen

Arranged as a base, topped with spiced potato and chickpea, drizzled with yogurt and tamarind-and-mint chutneys, and finished with sev and chaat masala — papdi chaat. The discs must stay crisp, so they are assembled and eaten quickly before the toppings soften them.

What we know about the claims

A fried dough snack — enjoy as the treat it is. No caution beyond that.

Choosing and buying

Sold bagged in South Asian grocers (UK and US), ready to top; easy to make from a simple wheat dough, rolled, cut and fried. Keep crisp and sealed.