Crispy Smashed Potato Papdi Chaat

I can eat potatoes in any form, shape and cuisine. So, for all you fellow couch potatoes, I have a delicious, crispy smashed potato Papdi chaat recipe. Traditional Papdi chaat recipe calls for crispy fried flour crackers made with either whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour as the base. Instead of flour-based crackers, I am replacing them with smashed crispy baby potatoes. Soft and fluffy on the inside, and ultra crispy on the outside, this potato Papdi chaat has a garnish of mint-coriander chutney , tamarind chutney , onions, red chilli powder and finely chopped coriander. This is a pretty simple recipe to follow and shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to put together. Let’s dive in.

Smashed Potato Papdi

1. Start by boiling baby potatoes in a large pot with a pinch of salt. Boil the potatoes until they are semi-soft.
2. Load the semi-boiled potatoes on a baking tray and smash each one using the bottom of a glass.

Note: Make sure to press them halfway and not completely. This might lead to the potatoes getting flatter than we desire them to be.

3. Drizzle some oil onto the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and Ajwain (carom) seeds.

4. Bake them in the oven or air fryer for 30-35 minutes at 200° Celsius, turning once or twice until crisp, crunchy and golden.

Papdi Chaat Garnish

1. Place the smashed crispy potatoes on a serving plate. Top them with mint coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, a sprinkle of red chilli powder, finely chopped onions and chopped coriander.

2. Enjoy while the potatoes are crispy and warm.

That’s it. This simple and crispy smashed potato Papdi chaat is sure to steal your heart away. As the year ends and steps into 2023, I want to take this moment to thank each one of you for being such a big support in my journey as @beextravegant. Your love and kind words mean the world to me.

Here’s to more amazing recipes coming from yours truly. Wishing each one of you a crazy New Year’s Eve and a Happy New Year.

Check out my other Snacks and Chaats recipes here:

1. Vegan Dahi Vada
2. Crispy Plaintain Chips
3. Baked Aloo TIkki

Papdi Chaat with a Smashed Potato Twist

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 700 g Small potatoes or large potatoes quartered
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp ajwain
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Tamarind Chutney
• 1 tbsp Mint Coriander Chutney
• 1 small onion – finely chopped
• Corriander – chopped to garnish
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 1 tbsp salt.
• Cook potatoes until soft – small ones should take around 20 to 25 minutes, medium ones might take 30 minutes. It’s ok if the skin splits.
• Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F
• Drain the potatoes and let them dry in the colander for 5 minutes or so.
• Place on the tray then use a flat glass, large fork or potato masher to squish them, keeping them in one piece.
• Sprinkle with olive oil, salt flakes and ajwain/carom seeds.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes (small potatoes) or until deep golden and crispy.a
• Serve hot, sprinkled with mint coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, chopped onions, red chilli powder and chopped coriander. You can also top it with some sev and pomegranate seeds!

Nutrition

Vegan Christmas cake recipe | Vegan Christmas fruit cake | Kerala plum cake Make this popular and flavourful fruit cake, commonly called plum cake made with a load of soaked dried fruits. You can skip out the rum and soak the fruit in orange juice. This is an vegan version, of the popular rum fruit cake or brandy Christmas cake served for Christmas.

WHAT IS A PLUM CAKE?

In India, specifically Kerala, Plum Cake refers to a type of cake made with either dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, figs, prunes etc.)with a hint of rum or brandy. In India, the plum cake has is served during the Christmas season, and those who are vegetarians, skip out the eggs, and those who don’t want alcohol in their cakes, generally use orange juice instead.

This recipe came to India from England, but it is quite a popular cake around the world. Every family usually has their own family recipe for a fruit cake.

How to make my Plum Cake alcohol-free?

Traditionally, for this cake, the dried fruit is soaked in rum or brandy for months or even years and then using them for an extensive Christmas bake. Honestly, nowadays, not everybody remembers to do this! For this eggless and vegan plum cake, I use half rum and half orange juice. But if you want to skip out on the rum, then just replace it with more orange juice! Also, try my quick, cheat code to soak the dried fruit in a matter of 10 minutes! I do this by cooking the dried fruit in rum and orange juice until the fruit soaks it all up! It helps make the dried fruit super flavorful for the cake. I used raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried figs, and prunes for this vegan plum cake. But you can use any dried fruits you have at your disposal!

How to bake this cake without an oven?

Just turn on the convection mode in your microwave! Then, pre-heat to 160 degrees celsius and place the cake pan on the microwave tray, and allow it to bake for 30-40 minutes. Definitely keep an eye on the cake so that it doesn’t burn. As soon as it gets a golden brown edge, stop!

This vegan plum cake can also be made in a pressure cooker or the Indian wok: kadhai! Feel free to try out the option that best works for you!

Make other festive bakes from the blog:

• Vegan Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
• Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Tahini chocolate chip cookies

Vegan Plum Cake – Vegan Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the cake batter:

• 1 ½ cup All purpose flour 180 grams
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup yogurt 245 grams
• ½ cup neutral vegetable oil sub with vegan butter, 109 grams
• ¾ cup brown sugar 165 grams
• For soaking the dried fruit:
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• ⅓ cup rum sub with orange juice
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup dried apricots chopped roughly
• ⅛ cup dried cranberries
• ⅛ cup figs chopped roughly
• ⅛ cup prunes chopped roughly

Nuts (about 110 grams):

• ¼ cup almonds
• ¼ cup pecans
• ¼ cup cashews

Instructions

• In a saucepan, take rum and orange juice, and turn on the heat.
• Add the dried fruits to the rum and juice mix and cook untill the mixture thickens and the dried fruit absorbs all the juices. Set aside and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (320 degrees F) and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground spices, and orange zest and set aside.
• Whisk together brown sugar, vanilla extract, yoghurt and oil in a separate bowl until well combined.
• Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a silicone spatula, then the soaked dried fruit, and nuts and mix until everything is well combined with no large flour pockets. Do not over-mix the batter!
• Bake at 160C for 50-55 minutes or only until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
• Top the cake with the extra soaked fruits and enjoy!

Here is my recipe for Semolina Gnocchi and vegetable Stir-fry. The dough is made with semolina instead of potatoes, and the texture is slightly different. When combined with onions tomatoes, vegetables, and seasonings, this Semolina Gnocchi Balls recipe will become a flavour town. This is a fairly simple dish to prepare and tastes simply delicious. Semolina gnocchi is a variation of the traditional Italian potato gnocchi.

Semolina: Dishes from around the world

This versatile coarse flour, Semolina, is extensively used in many countries for sweet and savoury dishes. It is a great ingredient to experiment with and you can come up with multiple variations to mainstream dishes.

Semolina is used in various dishes in different cuisines around the world. Couscous, a staple food in North African cuisine, is made from semolina flour steamed and then rolled into tiny granules.

In India, semolina makes a popular breakfast dish called Upma . It’s made by cooking semolina in water or broth with spices and vegetables, often served with chutneys or yoghurt.

In South Indian cuisine, semolina is used to make a type of steamed cake called idli. It’s made by mixing semolina, lentils, and yoghurt, and then steaming the batter.

Knafeh, a popular Middle Eastern sweet dish, is made by layering phyllo dough and sweet cheese filling, often flavoured with rose water or orange blossom water, topped with crushed pistachios and a sweet syrup.

Semolina Balls: Substitutes and Variations

• You can substitute Semolina with polenta for a gluten-free version and add xanthan gum to the dough later.
• Soy yoghurt can be substituted with any kind of plant-based yoghurt.
• For the veggie stir fry, you can add any vegetables of your choice – bell peppers, green peas, potatoes etc.

How to prepare Semolina balls?

To make semolina balls, first, pour water into a pan and bring it to a boil, add salt to the water.

Then add the semolina and mix it in. Turn off the heat and add yoghurt to the mixture and mix it well with a spatula, then set it aside to cool.

Once cooled, knead it into a pliable dough, adding a few tablespoons of flour to help it come together.

Wet your hands and break off a lime-sized ball and form it into a desired shape, such as a curly gnocchi-style look.

Then heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium to medium-low heat and pan-fry the semolina balls until they turn golden brown on multiple sides. Remove them from the pan once they are golden brown.

How to stir fry the Semolina Balls?

1. To make semolina balls and veggie stir fry, first heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add cumin and mustard seeds, let the mustard seeds pop and cumin seeds change colour. Add curry leaves and let them splatter.

2. Then add chopped onions and fry until golden brown. Once the onions turn golden brown, add green chillies.

3. Add turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder.

4. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn soft. Add the grated carrots and cook for another 3 minutes

5. Then add the semolina balls and mix gently with a spatula. Let the carrot-tomato-onion masala mix coat the semolina balls. Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander and serve hot.

Semolina Gnocchi Balls are ready to be devoured. Do give this recipe a try. This dish is a great way to enjoy semolina gnocchi as a main meal, it’s also a perfect way to use up leftover gnocchi, and also a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. You can also add any vegetables that you like, this recipe is quite flexible and adaptable.

Note : You can store them in the fridge for up to 1 week in an air-tight container.

Follow @ beextravegant for more fun, vegan recipes.

Check out my other recipes:

• Lemon Rice Recipe
• Ven Pongal
• Vegetable Upma

Upma Style Semolina Gnocchi – Easy, Healthy

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup semolina/rava sub with polenta for gluten-free version and add xanthan gum to the dough later
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup plant-based yoghurt
• Few tablespoons of flour if required
• 3 tbsps Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 onion diced
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 carrot grated
• Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• Chopped coriander

Instructions

• Pour water into a pan and bring it to a boil
• Add a tbsp oil to the water and then the semolina to this water. Mix it in and then add yoghurt to this.
• Turn off the heat, mix well with a spatula, and set aside to cool.
• Once cooled down, knead this into a pliable dough, add a few tbsp of flour to help it come together.
• Wet your hands and break off a lime sized ball. Form it into a desired shape, I like a curly gnocchi-style look.
• Take a pan and heat 1-2 tbsp oil to the pan and pan-fry these semolina balls on medium to medium-low heat until it turns a brown on multiple sides.
• Once they all have golden brown sides, remove them from the pan.
• Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan and add cumin and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds pop and cumin seeds change colour.
• Add curry leaves to this and let it become crispy for a couple seconds and add chopped onions.
• Once the onions turn golden brown, add turmeric powder, salt and the chopped tomatoes.
• Cook until the tomatoes turn soft, add the grated carrots, and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Finally add back the semolina balls and mix gently with a spatula. Let the carrot tomato mix coat the semolina balls.
• Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander to this.
• Serve hot!

Nutrition

Papdi Chaat with a Smashed Potato Twist

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 700 g Small potatoes or large potatoes quartered
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp ajwain
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Tamarind Chutney
• 1 tbsp Mint Coriander Chutney
• 1 small onion - finely chopped
• Corriander - chopped to garnish
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 1 tbsp salt.
• Cook potatoes until soft - small ones should take around 20 to 25 minutes, medium ones might take 30 minutes. It’s ok if the skin splits.
• Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F
• Drain the potatoes and let them dry in the colander for 5 minutes or so.
• Place on the tray then use a flat glass, large fork or potato masher to squish them, keeping them in one piece.
• Sprinkle with olive oil, salt flakes and ajwain/carom seeds.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes (small potatoes) or until deep golden and crispy.a
• Serve hot, sprinkled with mint coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, chopped onions, red chilli powder and chopped coriander. You can also top it with some sev and pomegranate seeds!

Nutrition