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Recipe | Healthy Papdi Chaat Tarts- It’s all about sharing my love for food

6 September 2014 10 Comments

healthy vegetarian recipes

What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.” M. Chiarello

I was slightly disturbed reading a message from a reader last evening which read like this “I love your recipes, but please include step-wise pictures of the recipes and increase the frequency of your blogposts.”

To which my reply was, “I am glad that you like the recipes here. But please understand that Lite Bite is not just a recipe blog, it’s my personal diary where I also love to share my experiences and stories behind the food I present. There are millions of wonderful food blogs where you can check any recipe you wish.” .

But the message did get me thinking for some time, till I was convinced that blogging to me is not merely jotting down the ingredients and to post delicious pictures of the food.

Food blogging to me is all about sharing my love for ‘food’ and about how it has inspired me stepping out of my comfort zone and make real changes in my life.

Lo and behold….just when I was about to publish this blogpost, I got the information from the feature writer about the article in a popular Indian National daily  ‘The Hindu‘  to cheer me up 🙂

And the article ends with these lines….

Sanjeeta knows her blog hasn’t merely helped her make inroads into the food industry but has also been an immense confidence booster. After quitting corporate life to raise children, the blog has steered her to creative enterprises. “It is empowering, of course. The reader’s response has boosted my confidence and given me wings to fly,” she says.

Blog busters

Healthy Papdi Chaat Tarts

healthy egg free savory tarts

Coming back to the recipe, it instantly reminds me of Besan ki papdi my granny used to make. Though I spent very little time with my grandmother but the time and food she shared with me is memorable.

Her slow cooked Kadhi, Daal Baati, Churma Laddo, Besan ki chakki and those thick crisp roti with Bajra (pearl millet) and cornmeal (makki) are some of the food I relished the most. But I am afraid my children are not one with me.

Besan ki Papdi is one of the festive treats my grandmother loved making during Diwali. Oh..yes, we were given small hammers (musal) to beat the papdi dough with it, which was a fun activity for the children.

I enjoyed every single bite of those delicious, warm, crispy little discs. When I make the same at home my children would take one or two of the Papdis just to please me.

And this is when I thought of giving it a makeover and combined papdi recipe to make these Papdi Chaat Tarts.

Make these tarts ahead and refrigerate, it stays good for about 6-7 days.  Use them to make instant healthy breakfast or tea-time snack with interesting fillings and serve.

healthy egg free savory tarts

Ingredients;

(makes 10-12)

For Crusts;

  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 2 tbsp wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp. red chilly powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Carrom seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. Baking soda
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4th cup Water
  • Oil for deep frying

Filling;

  • 1/2 cup Green gram sprouts
  • 1/2 cup chopped coloured bell pepper
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tsp. oil
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. Chaat masala (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Fresh coriander leaves
  • Cheese (optional)

healthy egg free savory tarts

Method;

Chickpea flour Crusts; Combine chickpea flour (besan), wheat flour, carom seeds (ajwain), salt, chilly powder and baking soda in a large bowl.

Add oil and mix it with your fingers to make crumbs of flour.

Add little water at a time and knead all the ingredients to get a stiff or hard dough.

Cover the dough and keep it aside for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat over at 200°C and grease tart shells with oil.

Pinch small balls of dough and roll it into thin discs. Alternatively you can make a large thin chapatti and cut small circles with a cutter.

Place these small circles on tart shells and press firmly.

Prick each crust with fork.

Bake the tart shells for 10-12 minutes or until they turn golden brown in coluor.

Cool the tart shells and store it in air-tight container.

healthy egg free savory tarts

Stuffing; Finely chop onion and all the bell peppers (shimla mirch). Heat oil in a pan and cook chopped capsicum and sprouts for just 1 minutes on high heat.

Take the stuffing off the flame, add rest of the ingredients (except cheese, if using) and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

healthy egg free savory tarts

Fill the tart shells with a large tablespoon of above filling and add grated cheese to make it more exotic snack recipe. Sprinkle a little Indian Chaat masala and serve.

healthy egg free savory tarts

Use this recipe of Mini Oat Tarts or these Wholewheat Tarts I posted some time back on Lite Bite. These tarts are thick and more crusty in texture to make these savory version.

Ingredients for Oat crust; 

  • 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp. or more milk
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
  • A pinch of salt

Notes;

  1. Make sure you roll the dough very thin to get crisp tart crusts.
  2. Use vegetables such as grated coloured cabbage, corn kernel, fresh sweet peas or even boiled lentils and legumes such as peanuts, chickpeas to the filling.
  3. Chaat masala is a tangy Indian spice-mix made by powdering dried mango and cumin seeds.
  4. Add sweet and spicy Dates chutney to the filling to make it tastier.
  5. I often use these tart shells to make Paani- puri, a popular Indian street food.
  6. You can even deep fry the tarts instead of baking them for a much crispy treat.

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10 Comments »

  • Rashmi said:

    Hi Sanjeeta, Have just found your blog… You have a beautiful blog with very interesting recipes…. I tried your ragi chocolate cake yesterday and must thank you for it…. My kids absolutely loved it and have polished it off!! Intend to try more recipes from your blog… Keep up the good work

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    @Rashmi, Glad that your kids loved what you baked! Happy and seems more surprising because Ragi is not a kid friendly grain. Keep baking.

  • Dhanya Samuel said:

    what a crunchy treat….a whole new way of looking at chaats!

  • Kanchi said:

    Lovely pics and your recipe instructions are pretty easy to follow. Regards

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    @Kanchi, Thanks, happy that you could follow the recipe.

  • Shashi @ runninsrilankan said:

    Congrats on the post in The Hindu!!! And these tarts are adorable and delicious!

  • Easyfoodsmith said:

    For most bloggers it is the same story Sanjeeta. The blogs are a platform for not just sharing recipes but they are like journals of sorts.
    My sis-in-law makes something similar and love the crunchy texture. The chick pea flour addition is certainly a delicious healthy twist. As always, a total winner 🙂

  • Joyti said:

    How strange, that readers think they can tell bloggers how to blog! My own blog is very, very personal, too personal for someone to tell me what do with it.

    Also – WOW – these look incredible! So cute, and delicious too.

  • Sadhna Grover said:

    This is the first time I am visiting your blog, very nice savory chat recipe. Chick peas flour crust is amazing idea.

  • Shoba Shrinivasan said:

    Hi Sanjeeta,

    Its totally unacceptable that a reader gives you suggestions for bloghits…and to increase blog posts…They probably dont realise how enriching it can be…as it`s totally very personal and a platform to express your thoughts, experiences etc…papdi tart chaats looks uber cute! I love that deep dark bark that you have used…Beautiful clicks.
    Shobha

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