Crispy Palak (Spinach) fritters topped with yoghurt, red, green and tamarind chutneys, onions, and crunchy sev.
Palak Pata Chaat (Crispy Spinach Chaat) is a mouthwatering snack or appetizer that instantly wins hearts. I first tried it at a restaurant and fell in love—the crispy spinach leaves coated in besan (chickpea flour) and topped with tangy chutneys, onions, and sev create a perfect harmony of flavors and textures.
Savoury snacks have a special place in Pakistani and Indian cuisine. Dahi Bara chaat, Channa chaat or Papdi Chaat, spicy Samosas or Pakoras are delicious recipes that can be enjoyed anytime of the day as snack or even served as appetizer.
HOW TO MAKE PALAK PATA CHAAT
The star of this recipe is crispy Palak Pakoras made from scratch, with simple toppings of yogurt, chutneys, and sev adding flavor and texture. This Pakistani street food chaat is tangy, crunchy, and irresistible!
Spinach Prep: Remove the stems from fresh spinach leaves, wash thoroughly, and pat dry with a tea towel. Dry leaves fry crispier, so don’t skip this step.
Besan (Chickpea Flour) Batter: In a bowl, combine besan, salt, red chili powder, cumin seeds, and ajwain (carom seeds). Add water gradually to make a medium-thick batter—enough to coat the spinach leaves evenly. Tip: The right consistency is key—too thick and pakoras will be chewy; too thin and the batter will slide off.
Frying the Pakoras: Dip each spinach leaf in the batter, letting excess drip off, and deep-fry in hot oil until golden and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. These crispy fritters are the base of your chaat.
Yogurt: Whisk plain yogurt with a pinch of salt and a little sugar for balance.
Chutneys: Use mint chutney and tamarind chutney, either homemade or store-bought, for a tangy, spicy kick.
Additional Toppings: Finely chopped onions, sev or crushed papri, and pomegranate arils add crunch, color, and tang. Sprinkle chaat masala lightly for that signature spicy flavor. Garnish with fresh mint or coriander leaves if desired.
Assembling the Chaat
On a serving plate, layer the crispy spinach pakoras. Drizzle yogurt first, followed by mint and tamarind chutneys. Sprinkle chaat masala, then top with onions, pomegranate, and sev.
Finish with a few mint or coriander leaves. Serve immediately to enjoy the perfect crunchy, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth chaat.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE CRISPY PALAK PATTA CHAAT
Tips for making Crispy Palak Pata Chaat
- Wash and dry spinach leaves thoroughly – Dry leaves help the batter stick properly and fry evenly.
- Get the batter consistency right – A medium-thick batter coats the leaves perfectly; too thin and it won’t stick, too thick and pakoras may turn heavy.
- Fry on medium heat – This ensures the pakoras cook evenly, staying golden and crispy without burning.
- Drain on a wire rack – Let the fried spinach pakoras rest on a wire rack so excess oil drains, keeping them light and crispy..
Other Recipes to Try:
Papri Chaat
Dahi Baray
Punjabi Samosa
Dahi Phulki
Palak Pata Chaat ( Crispy Spinach Chaat)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Besan (Chickpea Flour)
- Spinach Leaves
- ½ + ¼ tsp Salt For Spinach batter and Yoghurt
- ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- ¼ tsp Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
- Water as required
- 1 cup Yoghurt
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Tamarind Chutney See Notes
- 2 tbsp Mint Chutney See Notes
- 1 Onion Chopped
- ½ tsp Chaat Masala
- 3-4 tbsp Sev See Notes
- Coriander to garnish
- Oil for Frying
Instructions
- Remove stems from the spinach leaves and wash them thoroughly. Spread them on a tea towel and pat dry.
- In a bowl add besan (Chickpea flour) along with salt, red chilli, cumin and carom seeds. Mix it and gradually add water while mixing it with a whisk. The batter should be medium thin consistency.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Dip the leaves in batter and drop them in oil.
- Flip them, once golden brown take them out. Drain them over a wire rack to ensure they remain crispy.
- Whisk yoghurt with ¼ tsp salt and sugar.
- Assemble fried spinach leaves on serving platter. Drizzle some yoghurt along with mint and tamarind chutney. Sprinkle some chaat masala and add onions and sev. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and coriander/cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use store bought tamarind chutney or make your own following this recipe Tamarind Chutney – Sugar Spice & More (sugarspicenmore.com)
- Same with Mint Chutney. If you want to make it from scratch you can use my recipe to make it Mint Chutney – Sugar Spice & More (sugarspicenmore.com)
- You can also use papri as an alternative to Sev
Wowwww!!! This is an amazing recipe. I loved the flavours, cripsy spinach, tangy spicy chutneys, very delicious.
Thankyou Samra for trying out this recipe
This palak chaat is a flavour bomb, the sweet, tangy, crispy, crunchy everything a chaat should be. I was bit reluctant to try thinking pakoras will be soggy and oil. But they turned out perfect !
Thanks Aksana, yes definitely a beautiful medley or flavours and texture. Its great to know that you loiked this recipe.