Learn how to make my easy Papdi recipe for Chaat at home with just 8 ingredients! These crispy Indian crackers are perfect for sev puri, papdi chaat, or as a tea-time snack. Simple and delicious! Deep fried and air fryer instructions included.
I absolutely love chaat recipes, and I always keep a few staples ready to make them whenever I crave. Chaat papdi, green chutney for chaat, tamarind dates chutney, air fryer pani puri and sev are must-haves in my kitchen. While it's easy to grab a packet of store-bought papdi (papri), I find that making them at home is super simple! Whether you choose to air fry, bake or deep fry.
This homemade crispy papdi recipe gives you the perfect base for all your favorite chaat dishes. (Mine is papri chaat and pani puri)
And honestly, they’re so tasty flavored with cumin and carom seeds, I even enjoy air fryer papdi as a snack with a cup of Indian masala chai or filter coffee!
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Why this recipe works?
- You only need 8 ingredients – simple, everyday pantry items that you probably already have.
- Can be baked, air fried or deep fried
- Tastes fresher and so much cheaper than store-bought – homemade always wins!
- Super easy to make – anyone can do it, even if you're new to cooking.
- It’s vegan – a delicious and plant-based treat for everyone to enjoy.
Ingredients
(See the recipe card below for detailed ingredients and measurements)
- Plain Flour (Maida): I use plain flour, also known as maida in India and all-purpose flour in the US. Make sure your flour is fresh for the best flavor.
- Carom Seeds (Ajwain): They add a distinct, flavor to the papdi dough. They are commonly used in Indian cooking.
- Cumin Seeds (Jeera): They bring a warm, earthy flavor to the papdi dough. I use them in almost all my curries right from chana masala to paneer curry.
- Semolina: Adds a crunchy texture to the papdi. Its optional, but I love my papdi with it.
- Oil: You’ll need a neutral-flavored oil. I usually use sunflower oil. You’ll need oil at two stages: to add to the dough and to fry the papdis.
Substitutions & Notes
- Whole wheat flour(chapati atta): You can substitute half the amount of plain flour with whole wheat flour or use only whole wheat flour if you prefer.
- Ghee: If you’d like, you can swap oil for 1.5 tablespoons of ghee to knead the dough. Note the recipe will not be suitable for vegans.
- Cumin seeds and Carom seeds: Don't have them, leave it out.
How to Make Crispy Papdi
Step 1: Add plain flour, carom seeds, cumin seeds, oil, and salt in a bowl.
Step 2: Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly. When you hold it tight, it should form a shape like in the picture.
Step 3: Add ⅓ cup of water and begin to knead. You may find the water a bit less, but don't be tempted to add it right away.
Step 4: Knead the dough until it's semi firm ( not as soft as chapati or hard as poori). If the dough doesn't come together, add a splash of water. I added another 1.5 tablespoon of water.
Step 5: Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes. After resting, knead the dough again briefly. Divide it into portions and roll each portion into a ball.
Step 6: Dip the dough ball in a little oil (optional). Roll each ball into a slightly thick disc. Prick with a fork as you would when docking a pastry, and cut into small circles using a cookie cutter or lid. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Step 7: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the papdis in batches, flipping until golden brown and crispy.
Step 8: Remove and drain on paper towels. Let them cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 weeks. Ready for your favorite chaat recipes!
How to Make Air fryer Papdi
Step 9: Arrange the papdi circles in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between them. Preheating is optional.
Step 10: Air fry at 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until light golden brown and crispy.
Let the papdi cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Sandhya’s Pro Tips
- If you like, you can substitute half the amount of maida with whole wheat flour or use only whole wheat flour.
- Don’t reduce the amount of oil when making the dough. It helps with texture and flavor.
- To make crispy papdis, knead a semi firm (not soft) dough.
- Prick the papdis with a fork to stop them from puffing up while frying.
- Fry them at a medium-low flame for the best crispiness.
- When you add semolina to the dough, the papdis are slight thicker than the papdis without it.
How to Store Papdi (Papri)
Allow the papdis to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2-3 weeks if kept in a cool, dry place.
Serving
These crispy papdis make a great tea-time snack like baked methi mathri with masala chai or filter coffee—just like in any Indian household.
They are also an essential ingredient for making sev puri, papdi chaat, bhel puri, and dahi papdi chaat.
Recipe FAQ's
In the UK, you can find chaat papdi (papri) at Indian grocery stores or in the snack aisles of larger supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's, where they stock international or Asian foods. You can also shop online at retailers such as Amazon and Ocado. Popular brands like Jaimin, Snack Fresh, Haldiram's, and others are often available.
Papdi is made from plain flour (maida), oil, water, and spices like carom seeds or cumin seeds. . The dough is kneaded, rolled out, and then fried or baked until crispy.
"Papdi" refers to small, crispy, round crackers commonly used in Indian street food, especially in chaat dishes like papdi chaat or sev puri.
Ingredients
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour Plain flour or maida
- 2 tablespoon semolina optional
- ½ teaspoon Carom seeds ajwain
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- Salt to taste
- 1.5 tablespoon Oil ghee
- ⅓ cup Water + more as needed
- Oil for deep frying, baking or air frying
Instructions
- Add all-purpose flour, semolina, salt, carom seeds, cumin seeds and oil. Then mix by hand until the mixture reaches a crumbly texture(like for a shortcrust pastry). Gradually add a small amount of water to knead the mixture into a semi stiff dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
- Take a large chunk of the dough and roll it flat using a rolling pin. Using a round or rectangular pastry cutter, cut out shapes as desired. To prevent the papdis from puffing up while frying, use a fork to pierce a few holes around each piece.
Frying the Papdi
- In a kadai, heat oil over low-medium flame. Drop a small piece of dough into the oil to test the temperature. The dough should sink to the bottom and rise quickly.
- Gently drop the papdis in batches into the hot oil. Fry on low flame until they turn a light yellow color.
- Remove the fried papdis and place them on a kitchen towel to drain excess oil.
Air frying the papdi
- Preheat the air fryer at 180C (Optional)
- Arrange the papdis in the air fryer basket, without overlapping. There is no need to brush with oil, as there is oil in the dough and papdi's don't stick to the basket.
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes or until light golden in color. Flip at half time.
Baking the Papdi
- Heat the oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the papdis on the sheet.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until they are golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Once the papdis are cool, transfer to air tight container and enjoy. They keep fresh for up to 2-3 week.
Notes
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- If you like, you can substitute half the amount of maida with whole wheat flour or use only whole wheat flour.
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- Don’t reduce the amount of oil when making the dough. It helps with texture and flavor.
-
- To make crispy papdis, knead a firm (not soft) dough.
-
- Prick the papdis with a fork to stop them from puffing up while frying.
-
- Fry them at a medium-low flame for the best crispiness.
Sanchita Karmakar says
Oh! Such mouthwatering papdi.. brilliant. Thanks for sharing 🙂
PreeOccupied says
Great-looking papris. I learnt to make them very recently from a Marwari friend of mine and she did ask me to add semolina, which added so much crunch to the papris. I love them with chili pickle.
Sandhya Hariharan says
Thank u for all the lovely Diwali Wishes and wish you all the same..
Premalatha Aravindhan says
papadi luks very nice sandhya,woundeful clicks...
chitraj.hegde says
Nice papdi Sandhya....Nice to know that you are in uk too...I Wish you very Happy and bright Deepavali...
Kulsum@JourneyKitchen says
I might be late but Happy diwali Sandhya. Seeing this papdi, I think I should have made something savory for Diwali. Alas! but its never late to make it.
Thanks for the recipe.
Akila says
wow very lovely papdi's...
kothiyavunu.com says
Wish u & ur family Happy & Prosperous Diwali sandy!