Avocado Millet Papdi Chaat
I love chaat of any kind, but this avocado chaat has to be my new favourite. We discovered it at an Irani cafe here in Toronto called Bombay Snack Bar, I love how they make it (they happen to be one of the best Indian restaurants in Toronto). My mother-in-law said we can make this at home! Most Indian moms usually say this about restaurant food. They are all about hacking a restaurant recipe to make 'a better version' at home. Although I usually roll my eyes at such suggestions, I knew she was onto something. This copycat recipe of Avocado Millet Papdi Chaat is a winner. Also, this recipe happens to be vegan.
Ever since we made this avocado chaat recipe at home it has been on repeat. It is the perfect make-ahead recipe and also a great recipe for entertaining. The millet can be made a few days ahead. You can either choose to make or buy the chutneys from an Indian grocery store, the rest is fresh produce that you likely have on hand.
What type of food is chaat?
Chaat is the broad term given to a type of Indian street food. There are so many different types of chaat. The recipes are a heady blend of something salty, spicy, sour, sweet, and also something chatpat (tangy). Chaat offers exciting textural contrast so you will find crunchy sev or papdi along with boiled potatoes. Usually, the potato mixture, the sweet chutney, and green chutney are prepped ahead of time, but you toss the chaat together right before you eat it. No one wants a soggy chaat!
Millet recipes are quite common in Indian home-cooking, and there are so many varieties of millets to choose from. For this recipe, I have used kodo millet, only because that's what I had at home. Any type of millet will work perfectly. You may want to adjust the cooking time based on the millet you choose.
How to crisp millet perfectly?
The key to nailing the crunchy chaat texture in this recipe is to crisp up the millet. First, cook the millet in a small saucepan (1 part millet to 2 part water), allow it to cool completely (you can spread it out on a lined baking sheet to cool it). Next, bring some oil to medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the cooked cooled millet and toss it till it is evenly coated in oil. Lower the heat and allow the millet to cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes till the bottom begins to crisp. Continue to repeat this step for 10 - 15 minutes till the millet is completely crisp and dry to touch. You can cook and crisp up your millets a few days ahead and store it in the refrigerator.
The magic of chaat happens in a large mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients - crispy millet, papdi, chopped cucumbers, finely chopped onions, ripe avocados, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, lime juice / lemon juice, a pinch of red chili powder, pomegranate seeds, a pinch of black salt, fresh cilantro leaves, chaat masala, sev, and peanuts. Serve immediately topped with more sev and pomegranate and a dash of hot sauce (optional).
This avocado papdi chaat recipe is a modern take on an Indian classic aloo chaat, however, it totally satiates my chaat craving. You can serve this chaat as a salad, side, or appetizer. If you are considering an all-out chaat party this festive season, here are some other recipes to round out the menu Palak ki Tikki and Sweet Potato Samosa Tart.
Avocado Millet Papdi Chaat
This Avocado Millet Papdi Chaat is crispy, crunchy, tangy, and hits all the best Indian street food flavours. It’s a modern take on classic papdi chaat — with toasted millet, creamy avocado, bright chutneys, and all the fixings that make chaat so addictive.
Ingredients
- 1 cup millet (kodo, foxtail, or barnyard millet)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable oil or avocado oil)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- ¼ cup mint cilantro chutney
- ¼ cup tamarind chutney
- 10–15 papdi, lightly crushed + extra for topping
- ½ cup nylon sev + ½ cup for topping
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 English cucumber, deseeded and chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 pomegranate, deseeded (reserve some arils for garnish)
- 1 green chile, finely chopped (optional)
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of red chili powder
- Pinch of black salt (kala namak)
- Juice of 1 lime (or ½ lemon)
- Fresh mint + coriander leaves, chopped
- A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the millet well. Add it to a saucepan with 2 cups water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until fully cooked, 8–10 minutes.
- Fluff the millet and let it cool completely. Spread it on a baking sheet if you want to speed this up.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cooled millet and cook, tossing occasionally, until dry and crispy, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Assemble the chaat just before serving. In a large bowl combine the millet, cucumber, onion, pomegranate (reserve some for garnish), ½ cup sev, crushed papdi, mint chutney, tamarind chutney, peanuts, green chile (if using), chaat masala, cumin, black salt, red chili powder, and lime juice. Toss gently - don’t over mix or the chaat will get soggy.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Divide into serving bowls. Top with more sev, pomegranate, papdi, and freshly chopped mint and coriander. Add hot sauce if you like. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Crisping the cooked millet will yield roughly 4 cups.
- Prep time assumes chutneys are homemade. With store-bought chutneys, this recipe comes together in about 30 minutes.
- Assemble the chaat right before serving so it stays crispy.
- If preparing only a few plates at a time, store remaining ingredients separately. Sev + papdi store best at room temperature.
- This millet chaat version is a modern alternative to classic papdi chaat - great for parties and entertaining.
