These Papdi Chaat Appetizer Cups (Baked) are a fun twist on traditional papdi chaat without all the frying. Ready in just 30 minutes, these are the perfect and elegant appetizers to serve any occasion.
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Chaat is one of Pakistan's and India's most famous street foods. A savory snack, often also served as an appetizer, the delicious recipe is almost always a blend of some form of starch, assorted vegetables, a minimum of one or more chutneys, and various garnishes.
Whereas papdi chaat consists of the chaat served in a bowl and topped with a crispy, fried poori made of flour, in this recipe, the baked taco cups serve as the bowls and papdi all in one! The result is beautiful edible canapes that will wow any guests!
I love to use my tamarind dipping sauce or my easy tamarind chutney recipe (4-ingredient) for this recipe. If you want to add another pop of color and extra flavor, my cilantro mint chutney and my raw mango chutney are great options.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Crowd pleaser - These papdi chaat appetizer cups are so popular I can never make enough when I'm hosting. Crunchy, sweet, tangy, and savory, each cup is a perfect explosion of texture and flavor in your mouth.
- Vegetarian option - This is a great option to have on the menu when you have vegetarian guests in the mix.
- Easy recipe - There's minimal cooking and only a handful of chopping to get these delightful canapes on the table. They're perfect if you're in a rush or need a last-minute idea for a holiday party.
- Customizable - These appetizer cups are so easy to adapt to personal taste. Make them more or less spicy; use a different chutney and change the garnishes to appeal to different tastebuds.
Ingredient notes
- Tacos - I use large-sized, soft flour tortillas for this recipe.
- Chickpeas - Canned chickpeas work best for this recipe. They're pre-cooked, a huge time saver, and firm, allowing them to hold their shape when the chaat is mixed.
- Potato - A medium-sized red potato is my favorite to use. It has a creamy and waxy texture that tastes delicious and, like the chickpeas, holds its shape.
- Yogurt - Plain full-fat yogurt gives the boondi raita the perfect slightly sweet flavor and creamy texture this recipe calls for.
- Boondi - This is a small, pea-sized snack made from chickpea batter. Crunchy and crispy on its own, when soaked in the sweet and spicy yogurt sauce, the boondi becomes soft and fluffy.
- Chaat masala - A traditional South Asian spice blend, chaat masala is a popular ingredient in snacks and street food recipes.
- Pomegranate - These are added for a pop of color and tangy crunch. While not essential, they're a great addition to the recipe, and I highly recommend using them in this papdi chaat recipe.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Other options for the papdi - Depending on dietary restrictions, both low-carb or gluten-free tortillas are great substitutions. Two other great options are phyllo cups or wonton cups.
- Vegan option - Use your favorite vegan yogurts, like coconut or cashew, and make this recipe vegan.
- Seasonal fruit options - While pomegranates are my favorite garnish, mango and grapes add the perfect pop of color and flavor to the chaat appetizer cups, depending on the season.
- Store-bought chutney - I always have homemade prepared chutneys on hand, but if you want to keep this recipe hassle-free, feel free to use a pre-made chutney from your favorite South Asian store.
Step-by-step instructions
- First step - Take a 3 ¼ inch biscuit cutter and cut three rounds from each tortilla.
- Second step - Spray each round generously with non-stick spray on both sides and press them into a muffin tin. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the edges turn brown.
- Third step - Prep the chaat while you wait by mixing the drained and rinsed chickpeas, boiled, peeled, and diced potato, and the chopped tomato, green onions, serrano chili, chaat masala, and tamarind chutney.
- Fourth step - Remove the papdi appetizer cups from the oven, remove them gently from the muffin tin, and set them on a cooling rack.
- Fifth step - Mix the yogurt, milk, sugar, and chaat masala and whisk to a smooth mixture. This is similar to the yogurt sauce for my dahi bhalla recipe.
- Sixth step - Add the boondi and stir to mix.
- Seventh step - Place the cooled papdi cups on a tray and spoon one tablespoon of the chaat mixture into each appetizer cup.
- Eighth step - Top with one teaspoon of the boondi raita.
- Ninth step - Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and cilantro, and add a dollop of the tamarind chutney if you want the cups to have a bolder flavor.
Expert Tips
- Yogurt - Use plain full-fat yogurt as it's sweeter and less dense than Greek yogurt. Make sure to add the milk to thin it out, as the boondi will absorb a lot of liquid.
- Chutney - Keep the chutney thick if you're making it home, or it will run down the sides and make the papdi soggy.
- Fresh ingredients - Chop all your ingredients fine so they mix well, and you get all the flavor in each bite.
- Bake the tortilla scraps - I like to bake all the leftover tortilla scraps on a baking sheet and use them to add to my recipes as needed for a crunchy topping.
Recipe FAQS
Is There A Way To Prep These Ahead Of Time?
The papdi chaat appetizer cups will stay fresh for up to 30 minutes or, at most, an hour after they're filled. The best way to prep ahead is to make all the components beforehand and assemble them before serving.
How do I store the leftovers?
While any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, they will get soggy with time.
Other appetizer recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture, tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Papdi Chaat Appetizer Cups (Baked)
These Easy bite-sized Baked Papdi Chaat Appetizer Cups are the perfect way to serve a popular Pakistani snack in a healthy and elegant way.
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Ingredients
Papdi Cups
- 4 soft flour tortillas
- non stick cooking spray
Chana Chaat
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas
- 1 red potato
- 1 roma tomato
- 1 green onion
- ½ serrano chili
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala (see notes)
- 2 tablespoon tamarind chutney (see notes)
Boondi Raita
- ½ cup plain full fat yogurt
- ⅛ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala (see notes)
- ½ cup boondi
Toppings & Garnishes
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup cilantro microgreens
Instructions
Papdi Cups
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Cut three rounds from each tortilla using a biscuit cutter. (see notes)
- Generously spray both sides of each round with the non stick spray.
- Place each round in a muffin cup and press down so it forms a shallow cup.
- Bake the taco cups in the oven for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely before filling.
Chana Chaat
- Boil the potato till it is cooked through but firm.
- Cool, peel, and dice the potato.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Dice the tomato.
- Finely chop the green onion, both the white and green part.
- Chop the serrano chili and deseed it if you prefer your chaat to be less spicy.
- Mix all of the above and add in the chaat masala and tamarind chutney and set aside.
Boondi Raita
- Beat the yogurt and milk together till you have a smooth mixture.
- Add in the sugar and chaat masala and mix in.
- Add the boondi directly from the packet to the yogurt and stir in.
Assembling The Papdi Chaat Appetizer Cups
- Place your baked and cooled Papdi cups on a serving dish.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the Chana Chaat in each cup.
- Top the Chaat with 1 teaspoon of the Boondi Raita.
- Place a dollop of the tamarind chutney on top of the Raita.
- Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top.
- Place a sprig of cilantro microgreens and serve.
Notes
Chaat Masala—Chaat masala is essential to any good chaat, but it has a funky smell that takes getting used to. This is due to the black salt it contains. However, once you get past the smell, it's an addictive spice! If you find the smell bothersome, you can start with a smaller amount until your palate adjusts. Similarly, if you're a chaat masala fan and like your chaat spicy and well seasoned, you may want to add a little extra to your mixture.
Tamarind Chutney—I love tamarind chutney, so I add it to the Chaat and then again on top. Like the chaat masala, this can be adjusted to suit personal tastes.
Biscuit Cutter—I use a 3 ¼-inch round biscuit cutter. You can use a larger one if you want slightly deeper bowls, but these make the perfect bite-sized canapes. Round cookie cutters also work, but biscuit cutters have serrated edges, which make the appetizers look beautiful, so I prefer them.
Nutrition
Serving: 1papdi cupCalories: 69kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 84mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 94IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
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Joe
This was amazing! My wife made this recipe last night. It was so good. The flavors are complimentary and the textures are perfect. Can’t wait to have more.
Nosheen Babar
Thank You Joe! I’m so glad you liked it!
Zoya Noon
This is an absolute must try. Not only is it quick and easy but also looks like a fancy appetizer. It tasted delicious; the bursts of flavor went together beautifully. It was a super hit, perhaps the only thing that was all gone by the end of the party.
untoldrecipesbynosheen
Thank You so much Zoya! I'm so glad you liked it!