Papdi Chat for London Olympics Inaugration!!

Papdi Chat is undoubtedly the Indian version of Salsa and Chips. The sweet and tangy flavors are always a pleasure to enjoy. Very easy to prepare and relish and thus, something I make when relaxing. While watching the London Olympics Inaugration last Friday evening, I was in the mood for some. Quickly boiled some potatoes and opened up a can of Garbanzon beans and the chat is ready to eat. I prefer to use the "soak overnight and pressure cook the Chana/Garbanzo" to get the cooked Garbanzo beans. However, I will always have some canned Garbanzo beans just for occasions/needs like these!

For clarification of people unfamiliar with the word Chat when used with a snack dish, it refers to a snack which is a mish-mash of various ingredients with sweet and tangy flavors. These are popular street-foods of India. With no concern for the hygienic quotient, we used to enjoy these in school and college days from the vendors right outside the campus gates. To be honest, no matter how much you try, you can never replicate those flavors! Even now when I reach India, Chat is one of the top items in my wish-list. And friends and relatives who try to make these at home to persuade me not to eat outside - well, that's a different story! ;) I am guessing Chat represent the Hindi word meaning "slurping away". Or that people catch up on gossip and exchange stories while eating it and thus, the name!

Ingredients

Cooked Garbanzo beans - 1/2 cup
Potato - 2 small, boiled and chopped
Onion - 1/4 of a large one
Green chilli - 1
Fresh Coriander leaves - few sprigs, chopped
Chat masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt and Chilli powder - adjust as per taste

Greek Yogurt - 2 tbsp mixed with 1/4 cup Water and Salt and Cumin-Chilli or Chilli powder (no need of Water if using regular Yogurt)

Papdi chips - 1 cup, spread in a plate (I use the store-bought ones, like the Garvi Gujarat brand for the same)

Method

Prepare the  Yogurt mixture with the spices as mentioned in Ingredients.
Boil Potatoes to cook them. Chop and keep them aside.
Mix the Potatoes with the rest of the ingredients. Keep some of the Yogurt mix to add later if someone needs extra watery mix of Potato-Garbanzo for their Papdi Chips.
Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves and light sprinkle of Chilli Powder (optional).

To eat, pick one Papdi and add a spoonful of the Potato-Garbanzo mix.

Enjoy the London Olympics - root for your athletes but savor the undying spirit and hardwork of each one of them. Let everyone have a great time - no one loses here!