Sev Puriસેવ પૂરી
Flat crisp puris topped with potato, onion, three chutneys and a shower of fine sev. It is the fastest chaat there is, and it must be eaten the moment it is assembled.
Ingredients
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- 24 flat papdi puris
- 2 boiled potatoes, finely diced
- 1 onion and 1 tomato, finely chopped
- Green chutney, date-tamarind chutney, garlic chutney
- 1 cup fine sev
- Chaat masala, roasted cumin, lemon, coriander, pomegranate
Method
- Lay the papdi out on a plate.
- Top each with potato, onion and tomato.
- Add a little of each chutney, more sweet than hot.
- Sprinkle chaat masala, roasted cumin and lemon juice.
- Cover with fine sev, coriander and pomegranate, and serve immediately.
Tips
- Too much chutney and the papdi go soft in seconds.
- Add the sev only at the table.
Storing and reheating
Once assembled this is a two-minute dish, not something you keep. The prep, though, can all be done ahead: papdi for two weeks in an airtight box, sev in a separate box, boiled potato for two days in the fridge, green and garlic chutney for three or four days, and date-tamarind chutney for two to three weeks.
What you can swap
- No papdi? Break up round puris, or use pieces of khakhra. The texture changes but it is still chaat.
- No garlic chutney? Mix red chilli paste with a little lemon juice and salt for a quick stand-in.
- No fine sev? Crush thick sev by hand. Ratlami sev will make the chaat noticeably hotter.
- If raw onion is too sharp for you, soak the chopped onion in cold salted water for five minutes, then drain it.
What to serve with it
This is the chaat you eat standing at an evening stall, next to the bhel and the pani puri. At home it comes out when guests arrive or on a Sunday evening, and at weddings the chaat counter keeps a whole tray of papdi laid out ready.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not use warm boiled potato. The steam softens the papdi from underneath, so let the potatoes cool completely before you dice them.
- Drain the tomatoes. Juicy tomato collapses the papdi almost at once; deseed them and chop fine.
- Keep the order: potato and onion, then chutneys, then the dry masalas, and sev absolutely last. Reverse it and the sev goes soggy.
- Do not build a whole tray at once. Assemble six or eight papdi, hand the plate over, then make the next.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between sev puri, bhel and dahi puri?
Sev puri keeps the flat papdi whole and everything is piled on top. Bhel has puffed rice, sev, broken papdi and chutneys all tossed together. Dahi puri uses the round puffed puri, filled and topped with sweetened curd.
How do I keep the papdi crisp?
Store them airtight, in a dry spot away from the stove. If they have softened, toast them on a tawa on low heat for three or four minutes and let them cool before use. Never assemble on warm papdi.
Can I prepare this ahead for a party?
All three chutneys can be made two or three days before, the potatoes boiled the night before, and the onion and tomato chopped in the morning and kept covered in the fridge. Only the assembling is last-minute, a few plates at a time.
