I haven’t met a chaat I haven’t loved. Chaat is an intergral part of indian street food. Chaat is a wide variety of savory snacks served at roadside stalls or chaat shops throughout India. Indian chaat is a riot of flavors & textures- sweet, sour, spicy, creamy and crispy. Different regions of India have a wide variety of chaat inspired by local ingredients with vendors giving their own twist to recipes.
About Dahi Puri Recipe
In Hindi, “Dahi” means yogurt, and “Puri” refers to puffy flatbread. In context of this chaat, it refers to small and round crispy shells, commonly known as golgappe or phuchka. These puris are most commonly used to make pani puri, a classic and everyone’s favorite chaat. In pani puri, the puri is filled with spiced tangy herb-laced water, similar to jaljeera. Whether stuffed with pani (water) or dahi (yogurt), the puris are usually small enough to be consumed in one bite, creating you a riot of flavors in one mouthful. Dahi batata puri is a beloved chaat on streets of Bombay(Mumbai). However we grew up eating them in Delhi too, calling them dahi vaale golgappe or dahi puri. This recipe with puri is made by stuffing crisp puris with sweetened yogurt, chutney, boiled potatoes & matar, and all sorts of chaat condiments. All the fillings make this chaat a delightful blend of sweet and tangy flavors. You could use boiled chana (chickpeas) or kala chana (black chickpeas) for the stuffing. I love using matar in chaat recipes (white dried peas) because I love how it tastes. You could also use sprouted moong or chickpeas for the stuffing if you do not want to use potatoes. I like using only tamarind chutney and add herbaceous taste by sprinkling chopped cilantro on the dahi puri. You could also add green chutney(cilantro chutney) inside the puris if you wish. Whatever you choose to stuff them with, keep spicy, savory, creamy, tangy taste profile in mind combined with crunchy puris.
Where to purchase puris in USA
In India, we often bought the puris from the chaat vendor and made the condiments and stuffing at home. Here, in America, these puris are now available in different forms. You could get a big box of ready to use puris/golgappe in indian grocery stores. I usually purchase pani puri by brands like Deep or Haldiram. You could also purchase un-puffed pack of puris and puff them at home by deep frying or in the air fryer.
Recipe Tips
Add layers of flavors - Instead of just using boiled potatoes, make a spiced mixture of potatoes, matar, green chillies, cilantro, red onions and chaat masala. Make a spiced sweet yogurt mixture instead of just salted or sweet yogurt. You get the idea? Don’t use sour dahi- Make sure that the yougurt you are using is thick and not too sour. Else, combined with tamarind and chaat masala, these dahi puri will be too sour. Avoid overstuffing - I know we all are tempted to load up our chaat, however overstuffing will hurt here since it will make the puris soggy sooner. Serve immediately- Dahi Puri chaat is best served immediately after assembling to preserve the crispness of puris. Texture is the key- Add texture and bite to dahi puri by topping the stuffed puris with chopped red onions, cilantro, pomegranate arils and sev/bhujia. The more texture you add, the better the taste. Avoid drizzling extra wet ingredients like chutney or yogurt once you have the assembled the chaat plate. Makes them soggy quickly. Consider adding spices, sev, herbs, onions etc that enhance the look of chaat without making it mushy.
Ingredients
Potatoes- Use a starchy potato like russet. Boil using pressure cooker, instant pot or covered on stove top. Matar- White dried peas. You could use black chickpeas(kala chana) or garbanzo beans instead. Yogurt- I use whole milk plain greek yogurt. You could use any kind of yogurt you like as long as its not too sour. Onion, Green Chilli & Cilantro - Add color, crunch and a kick to any chaat. Tamarind Chutney- You could make imli chutney at home or use store bought. Powdered Spices - Red chili powder, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, Kala Namak Pomegranate arils- Add a fruity fresh punch and look pretty when serve. Sev or Bhujia- Traditionally nylon sev are used. Sev or Bhujia are thin gram flour noodles and add crunch to any chaat. I used aloo Bhujia (a similar potato snack) as it was available in my pantry.
How To Make Dahi Puri
Preparation
You could do the preparation ahead of time.
Make The Potato Mixture
Mix the Yogurt
Stuff and Assemble
Dahi Puri Variations
Make Vegan Dahi Puri - Simply use plant based yogurt. All other components in this recipe are vegan friendly. Use moong sprouts chaat instead of potato mixture. Fruity Dahi Puri - You can add chopped ripe mangoes, sweet peaches or kiwi for a sweet and fruity twist.
