Tortilla Papdi (Quick and Crispy)

Tortilla Papdi (Quick and Crispy) 

Making papdi with tortillas is easy and tastes great. It's a great way to enjoy papri chaat with minimal effort. My papdi-chaat-loving friends and I have been making papdi with tortillas for years. Making homemade papdi (see recipe here) is time-consuming and we decided wasn't worth the effort.  Not only that, tortilla papdi are a great substitute and taste just as good. Try it and decide for yourself. 

Of course these days you can purchase plain papdi in Indian grocery stores, at least in large metropolitan areas, or online. For now, I'm still making tortilla papdi, maybe down the road I will start purchasing them.

Prep Time: 5 mins        
Cook Time: 20 mins

Makes: 80 each              
Serving Size: 8-10 papdi

Ingredients:

10 - 7" flour tortillas (10 ounces)

oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Heat about 3 inches oil in a wok/karahi or a medium skillet over medium heat. (Or use an electric fryer and heat oil to 300°F.) Adjust heat to medium-low to low, as needed. Oil is ready when a sample tortilla piece dropped into the hot oil quickly rises to the top but does not turn brown right away.

2. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut each tortilla into circles. Cut all the tortillas and set aside. Discard the tortillas scraps. (Or, if you're not particular about the circles, simply cut tortillas into 2" squares.)

3. Carefully drop 15-20 tortilla circles into the hot oil, depending on the size of your frying pan. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turn 1-2 times until the papdi are golden brown on both sides.

4. Drain on a paper towel. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Recipe By: Madhu Gadia, MS, RD. For more recipes and blogs, go to www.cuisineofindia.com.