Masala Papad – A simple snack with roasted papad/Indian cracker topped with a tangy and spicy vegetable filling! A perfect tea/coffee accompaniment and a guilt-free snack.
Today I am going to share a simple snack recipe after posting back-to-back sweet recipes for Diwali. Typically we make savory snacks like murukku, kara sev, omapodi, and kara boondi for Deepavali. But this year, we got a lot of goodies from India, and I have so many snacks, and I don’t want to fry more.
Like last year, I decided to share some chaat recipes and healthy snacks that you can prepare, irrespective of the occasion. (Don’t miss to check out my masala puri and tortilla bhel cups that I shared earlier) These are a perfect snack for a Diwali tea party or any chaat party. Guess what? They are easy to make too. It’s just the time that it takes to chop the vegetables.
What is masala papad?
It’s a simple snack where the papads are roasted and topped with fresh vegetables like onion, tomatoes with a generous sprinkle of cilantro, red chili powder, chaat masala, and sev. You can customize the filling as per your preference. If you notice, I have included bell peppers. It adds that color, crunch, and that mild kick as well. You can even call this masala papad chaat.
Masala papad is more like my tortilla bhel cups. For tortilla bhel cups, I went with Tostitos scoops and made the filling with puffed rice and sprouted beans—a similar recipe but with a different base and filling.
Ingredients
Ok, let’s talk about the ingredients in detail.
Papad: Papad forms the base of this chaat recipe. Papad is a famous Indian wafer/cracker or roasted/deep-fried flatbread. I know it’s a lot of reference/English names. It’s hard to describe the Indian dishes in English precisely. :-)
You can find papad served as a part of the meal, and in some restaurants, you can find this masala papad as an appetizer. Now you can find a variety of papad in India. Some made with urad dal, some with moong dal, some with rice and different flavors. My choice for the masala papad chaat is urad dal or moong dal papad. Please refer to the FAQ section for other details.
Topping/filling: Typically, we need some onions and tomatoes. But you can use veggies of your choice like grated carrots, chopped cucumber, and even raw mangoes and pomegranate arils. I have included some bell peppers.
Along with salt, we need some red chili powder and chaat masala. Adjust the measure to taste. Don’t hesitate to add sweet chutneys or spicy chutneys. Make sure you add them just before serving; if not, the papad becomes soft and soggy.
VVK Tip: Make sure you scoop out the flesh from the tomatoes like below before chopping them. You can use that in rasam or chutney.
Dietary specifications and serving suggestions
It’s a vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free dish. Make sure to use gluten-free papad.
I wouldn’t recommend making this ahead of time as the papad becomes soggy; also, don’t store them for a long time. As a part of the prep-work, chop the veggies. When needed, roast the papad, add the toppings, and enjoy immediately. Pair it with coffee or drink or any other beverages of your choice.
Frequently asked questions
I highly recommend the big urad dal or moong dal papad for this recipe. I used the Lijjat papad. Cumin or pepper flavored ones or plain urad or moong dal papad works best. You can also try the South Indian rice papad, arisi appalam, as we say in Tamil, but make sure to deep fry it. I won’t recommend the pappadum/the puffy wafers for this recipe.
It’s a personal choice, but I prefer roasted ones and if you are watching your calories, then opt for roasting.
Roasting the papad on stove-top
You can roast the papad directly on the flame over low heat, but I recommend using papad jali/cooking rack for papad. Place it on the stove-top, hold the papad with tongs, and keep shifting and flipping the papad and roast it evenly. Make sure the heat is low, and you are flipping and moving the papad regularly.
Microwaving is my preferred way as it gets done fast and no need to stand before the stove-top. Place the papad in the microwave, cook for 20 seconds, flip it, and cook again for 20 seconds. Depending upon the microwave power, this timing might vary. I roasted my papad in a 1250W microwave. But it should not take more than 60 to 70 seconds to roast papad in a microwave wave
How to make masala papad
Roast the papad
I roasted my papad in the microwave for 40 seconds, flipping once in between. Let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
Prepare the topping
Chop all the required vegetables and add them to a bowl.
Add the salt, ¼ tsp of red chili powder, and chaat masala before serving and mix well.
Assemble the masala papad
Generously spread the filling evenly on the papad. I love my papad loaded with filling. So I used the above filling for two papads. But you can use it for 3 to 4 papad maximum but not more. It also depends upon the size of the papad. Sprinkle some more chaat masala, red chili powder (¼ tsp of each on both the papad), sev (1 tbsp on each), and lemon juice (½ tbsp on each) and serve immediately.
Recipe notes
- It’s a highly customizable recipe. Make the filling as per your liking. The only thing is, assemble just before serving.
- Do not add the salt to the filling beforehand, as it might ooze out water. It’s an easy recipe to put together, so do the other steps before serving except for chopping.
- Check out the FAQ section for more details.
Guilt-free snacks for this Diwali
Loved this recipe?
If you try this masala papad chaat, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.
📖 Recipe
Masala Papad
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 2 papad urad dal or moong dal papad
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ½ cup tomato deseeded and chopped
- ⅓ cup yellow bell pepper chopped
- ⅓ cup orange bell pepper chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- ¾ tsp red chili powder divided
- ¾ tsp chaat masala divided
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp sev or to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice divided
Instructions
Roast the papad
- I roasted my papad in the microwave for 40 seconds, flipping once in between. Let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
Prepare the topping
- Chop all the required vegetables and add them to a bowl.
- Add the salt, ¼ tsp of red chili powder, and chaat masala before serving and mix well.
- Assemble the masala papad
- Generously spread the filling evenly on the papad. I love my papad loaded with filling. So I used the above filling for two papads. But you can use it for 3 to 4 papad maximum but not more. It also depends upon the size of the papad. Sprinkle some more chaat masala, red chili powder (¼ tsp of each on both the papad), sev (1 tbsp on each), and lemon juice (½ tbsp on each) and serve immediately.
Notes
- It’s a highly customizable recipe. Make the filling as per your liking. The only thing is, assemble just before serving.
- Do not add the salt to the filling beforehand, as it might ooze out water. It’s an easy recipe to put together, so do the other steps before serving except for chopping.
- Check out the FAQ section for more details.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
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