PAAPDI CHAAT

These days am basking in the culinary skills of my MIL. I am blessed by having both a Mom n a MIL who are excellent cooks.

I will tell you a funny incident involving both of them. Once when my MIL was returning to Kanpur, & Hubby was not in town, both me & my mother went to drop her off to the station. The train was a bit late, n my Mom wanted to attend nature's call urgently. We looked around but didnt find a suitable restroom for her to go. My MIL had an idea n she pointed towards a waiting train on the platform n suggested she should use the facilities there. The decision was unanimous & she went on to climb onto the train. Me n MIL sat on a seat right in front of that train, waiting for her to return. No sooner than mom would have begun the activity, the train started moving on!!!!!!! Me n my MIL were shocked to the extent, that we froze, dumbstruck not knowing what to do.

There were some men who were watching the whole scene & they quickly ran to the train & asked people sitting on the window to pull the chain. By this time, my mom had also reached the door panicking. Fortunately the train stopped & she came down.

Instead of fear or shock, there were three of us laughing our guts out, n people around us watching us go mad!!!

Till date we remember this incident & share a laugh!!

Now coming to the real thing..........after I returned from work today, I have a plate of finger-licking chaat-paapdi ready for me. Here goes her recipe.

Ing -

For the paapdi -
250 gms - maida
1/4 tspn - ajwain / bishop seeds
1 tbspn - oil
a pinch of salt

For the sweet chutney
100 gm tamarind / imli
50 gm jaggery
2 dried dates / chuare
salt as per taste

For the green chutney
a big bunch corriander leaves
4/5 stalks mint leaves
4/5 green chillies
salt as per taste
1 small onion
1 small pcs of ginger
Juice of one lime juice

Masalas
1/2 tspn - roasted and powdered cumin seeds
1/2 tspn - chaat masala
1/2 tspon - red chilli powder

1 katori curd - beaten (it will be nice if the curd is really, really fresh)
1/4 katori - besan boondi (optional)

Method -

For the paapdi
Seive the maida.
Add the salt & ajwain seeds - mix well
Add the oil & mix well, then knead it into a tight dough using little water.
Make very, very small balls & roll them into small small puris
Meanwhile heat oil very well & fry these paapris till crisp golden.
Drain them on tissue paper & keep aside.

For the sweet chutney
Deseed the tamarind and soak them for about 1/2 half an hour.
Now grind the tamarind, soaked & deseeded dried dates & jaggery using some water.
Strain the pulp.
Boil this pulp in a pan till the desired thickness.
Add salt as per desire, n a pinch of red chilli
Let it cool & you can store this in a bottle in the fridge for about a month.

For the green chutney
Clean & destem the corriander & mint leaves.
Chop the onions & scrape the ginger & cut into slices
Now grind all the ingredients, except salt in a grinder
When made into a thick paste, add the salt.
Squeeze juice of one lime (or more-as per your taste) into the chutney

Assembling the paapdi chaat

In a dish add the beaten curd.
Add in the paapdi.
Now add the sweet chutney & the green chutney as per your wish.
Mix well.
Immediately add the boondi & the sprinkle with chaat masala, red chilli powder & roasted cumin seed powder.

Serve immediately, n lick till the last drop!!!!! Unfortunately we didnt have the green chutney, but still...............slurp, slurp, lick, lick !!!!