papri

Papri, also spelled papdi or papri, is a thin, crisp flat wafer widely used in Indian cuisine. It is especially associated with chaat, a category of savory street snacks, where papri serves as a crunchy base or topping. The term is used in several South Asian languages for a crisp, wafer-like accompaniment.

Papri is typically made from a dough of all-purpose flour (maida) or chickpea flour (besan), sometimes a mix with semolina, water, salt, and a small amount of oil or ghee. The dough is rolled very thin, cut into shapes such as rounds or diamonds, and dried briefly before being deep-fried in hot oil until crisp. Some recipes bake papri instead for a lighter texture. Spices vary by region, with cumin seeds, ajwain (carom), chili powder, sesame seeds, or nigella added to the dough or sprinkled on after frying.

In street foods, papri is a key ingredient in papri chaat, where it is topped with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, chutneys, and sev. It is also used to garnish other chaats such as aloo tikki chaat and dahi puri, or eaten on its own as a light snack.

Papri has a long shelf life when stored in an airtight container away from moisture, typically several weeks. Nutritionally, it is high in carbohydrates and fat, depending on the oil content and ingredients, and is usually consumed as an occasional snack within a balanced diet.

Regional names and shapes may vary; some communities prefer besan-based papri, others maida-based, and thickness and crispness can differ, resulting in lighter wafers or thicker ones for different chaats.