Madhur Jaffrey’s Dahi Puri Chaat Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Feb 1, 2023 • 2 min read
With this recipe, Madhur takes you into what she calls “the special world of street food.” “Indian street food is chaat,” she says, “and chaat means ‘to lick.’ So anything that is so luscious that you’re licking your lips after [is chaat].” Dahi puri chaat is a serving of boiled potatoes, chickpeas, and yogurt stuffed into small, deep-fried flatbreads (puri) and topped with a mouthwatering mix of spices and tamarind chutney.
This chaat offers a mix of textures and flavors rarely found in other cuisines—hot and cold, raw and cooked, spicy and soothing. It’s best to prepare dahi aloo puri à la minute; otherwise, they will become soggy.
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What Is Dahi Puri?
Dahi puri is a kind of savory chaat, or Indian snack food, originating in Mumbai. The dish, a popular street food in India, centers around puri, a small, hollow fried shell made of whole wheat or chickpea flour. To make the chaat, puri are stuffed with yogurt, aloo (cooked potatoes), and various other ingredients. Common dahi puri fillings include boiled chickpeas, tomato, chopped onion, and assorted chutneys—typically a sweet one like tamarind chutney, and a spicier green chutney. The finished puris can then be garnished with crunchy bits of sev, a fried noodle made with chickpea flour.
Other variations include pani puri or golgappa, which pairs the potato filling not with yogurt, but with a spicy tamarind water known as imli pani. Crispy, delicate puris are best eaten in a single bite.
Madhur Jaffrey’s Dahi Puri Chaat Recipe
makes
prep time
5 mintotal time
15 mincook time
10 minIngredients
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until they’re tender enough to be easily pierced with a paring knife, about 10–15 minutes, then drain them and set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and roughly chop them. Place them in a medium bowl.
- 2
In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt until it is smooth and flowing.
- 3
Place the puris on a plate, and use your finger to gently poke a hole through the top layer. Place 3 or 4 pieces of potato into each puri, followed by 4 to 5 chickpeas. Spoon a bit of tamarind chutney over them, then top with about 1 tablespoon of the plain yogurt so that it just reaches the top of the puri.
- 4
Sprinkle each puri with cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt.
- 5
To finish, drizzle with green chutney and a generous sprinkle of sev. Serve immediately.
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