Paan Chaat (Betel Leaves Chaat)

5 from 4 votes

Paan Chaat is a delicious appetizer made using fried betel leaves topped with yogurt, chutneys and crisp toppings.

This is a unique chaat that is actually pretty easy to put together and tastes amazing too.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Chaat, Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Smruti

In a large bowl add chickpea flour and the spices.
½ cup chickpea flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon dhania jeera powder, ½ teaspoon aamchur powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Add water and start whisking.
¼-½ cup water
Mix everything well till you get a smooth batter.
Heat oil on medium high in a kadhai. Dip a betel leaf in the batter.
1 cup oil, 9 betel nut leaves
Coat it evenly on both sides with the batter.
Remove from the batter and dip in hot oil.
Fry till crisp; turning it once in between. Remove on a kitchen towel to drain.
Add seasonings to yogurt. Mix well and set aside.
1 cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, ½ teaspoon rock salt
Prepare the chutneys and keep them ready.
¾ cup Sweet Dates Tamarind Chutney, ½ cup Spicy Cilantro Chutney, ½ cup Garlic Chutney
Place the leaves in a plate.
Top with seasoned yogurt, sweet dates tamarind chutney, spicy cilantro chutney and spicy garlic chutney.
Then top with chopped onions, pomegranate arils and sev. Serve immediately.
½ medium onion, ¼ cup pomegranate arils, ¼ cup sev, 3-4 stalks cilantro, 1 teaspoon chaat masala

The batter for coating the paan has to be thick and not super thick. Make it similar to pancake batter in consistency. If it is too runny, add some chickpea flour. If it is still thick, add some water to thin it out.

Fresh paan leaves will work best here. As we consume the entire paan, it is best to pick fresh leaves. If you bring it the day before, simply wrap in wet towel and refrigerate till ready to use.

Heat oil till hot and reduce flame to medium high. Then fry the paan leaves. Frying them in cold oil makes them limp and full of oil and high flame will burn the leaves instantly and turn them brown.

The chutneys can be made ahead of time and so can the seasoned yogurt. Simply refrigerate till ready to serve.

The fried paan leaves can be served warm or cold. They taste wonderful either way.

Prepare the elements ahead of time if you like; but assemble the chaat just before serving. That way the chaat is crunchy, fresh and perfect.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.