Palak Chaat Recipe (Crispy Palak Patta Chaat)
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The moment this palak chaat hits the table, it disappears. I’m not exaggerating. Crispy, tangy, spicy, and cool all at once, this is the kind of snack that turns spinach skeptics into believers.
If you like this chaat recipe, you can also try: Tater Tots Chaat, Dahi Puri, Sweet Corn Chaat, Bhel Puri Chaat, Samosa Chaat, Orange Chaat, and Papdi Chaat.
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If you’ve ever had palak chaat at a Delhi street-food stall or a wedding buffet, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That crunchy spinach leaf beneath clouds of sweetened yogurt, a drizzle of dark tamarind chutney, a streak of green coriander chutney, and that final shower of sev and chaat masala; it is everything.
The good news? You can make it at home in 25 minutes, and it tastes just as good, if not better, than what you get outside. I’ve tested this recipe over a dozen times to perfect the batter ratio, the oil temperature, and the assembly sequence. Follow my measurements exactly, and you’ll get perfectly crispy, golden palak ready to be topped every single time.
If you love chaat as much as I do, explore my full collection of Indian Chaat Recipes. From street-style Dahi Puri to crowd-pleasing Aloo Tikki Chaat, I have covered them all. But first, let’s make this one.
What Is Palak Chaat?
Palak Chaat (also called Palak Patta Chaat) is a North Indian street-food snack where individual fresh spinach leaves (palak patta) are coated in a thin, spiced besan (gram flour) batter and deep-fried until golden and crisp. They are then assembled chaat-style: layered with sweetened yogurt (dahi), coriander-mint green chutney, sweet-sour tamarind chutney (imli chutney), chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, and crunchy sev.
This gluten-free snack is very easy to make. It comes together in just 25 minutes using simple pantry ingredients. Serve it with Ginger Chai on a cold winter or monsoon day or with Shikanji on a sultry summer evening. It is also a great dish for your evening tea parties.
This palak patta chaat recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Just make sure to fry the spinach leaves in batches.
Now, making perfectly crispy spinach leaves is very easy, but only if you follow the measurements perfectly. If the measurements are off, you could end up with oil-soaked, limp fried spinach. So, use my perfect recipe, standard cups, and spoon measures to measure the ingredients and make the best palak chaat ever.
I also have a Palak Pakora recipe on the blog. It is also made by coating the spinach leaves with a besan batter. Still, the ingredients and measurements for Palak Pakora and fried spinach in Palak Patta Chaat differ slightly. Although you can use them interchangeably, I recommend following the method mentioned in this post to make fried spinach for the chaat.
Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
- A perfect mix of crispy, tangy, sweet, and spicy, classic chaat in every bite.
- Light, airy spinach fritters that stay crisp even after adding chutneys and yogurt.
- Quick and easy, ready in just 30 minutes.
- Uses simple pantry ingredients and is great for parties or festive menus.
- Unique Value: My recipe uses a thin, tempura-style besan batter that keeps the spinach leaves ultra-light and crispy, not thick or cakey.
Ingredients
- Spinach Leaves – Use fresh, crisp, medium-sized spinach leaves. Avoid wilted or black-marked ones. You can also use baby spinach. Frozen spinach will not work in this recipe.
- To Make The Batter, you will need gram flour (besan, chickpea flour), cornstarch (cornflour), carom seeds (ajwain), salt, and baking soda.
- Oil – To deep fry the spinach leaves, use any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoking point. You can use rice bran oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil.
- Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) is mixed with salt and sugar. Adding sugar gives it a slightly sweet taste, balancing the chutneys’ flavors in the chaat.
- Chutneys – This delicious chaat uses two chutneys: sweet tamarind chutney and green chutney. You can adjust the quantity according to your taste. I like to make my own chutneys, but to save time, you can buy ready-made ones. The chutneys should be pourable. If they are thick, then mix them with some water.
- Others – You will also need red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, salt, and fine sev.
You can also top the chaat with some pomegranate seeds for a nice pop of color.
How To Make Palak Chaat
Fry The Spinach
Step 1: Rinse 15-20 fresh, medium-sized spinach leaves under cold water. Discard any wilted or damaged ones. Now, and this is the most important step, wipe each leaf completely dry using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Moisture on the leaf surface prevents the batter from adhering properly and is the number-one cause of soggy palak chaat. Don’t skip this.
Step 2: Mix the following ingredients in a bowl using a wire whisk.
- ¾ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch (cornflour)
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small pinch of baking soda
Step 3: Add water little by little, whisking to make a smooth, lump-free, flowing batter.
The single most-tested variable in this recipe is batter thickness. I use a simple test: Dip a clean finger into the batter and hold it up; the batter should cling to your finger in an even layer and drip off slowly after about 3 seconds. If it falls off immediately, it’s too thin. Add a tablespoon more besan. If it sits thick like paste, it’s too thick. Add a teaspoon of water at a time.
Step 4: Heat 2-3 cups of oil in a pan over medium-high heat to fry the pakora. Once the oil is hot (175°C, 350°F), reduce the heat to medium-low.
Don’t have a thermometer? Drop a tiny blob of batter into the oil. It should sink slightly, then rise to the surface within 3 seconds and begin sizzling. If it rises instantly, the oil is too hot. If it sinks and stays, it’s not hot enough.
Hold each dried spinach leaf by the stem. Dip it fully into the batter, coating both sides evenly, then drop it gently into the hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown on both sides. Use a tong or a perforated ladle to flip the pakora. Drain on a tissue-lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Fry all the leaves in the same manner.
Fry 3-4 leaves at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan, as this drops the oil temperature and leads to greasy results.
Maintain your oil between 170°C–180°C (340°F–355°F) throughout frying. After each batch, let the oil reheat for 60 seconds before adding the next. A kitchen thermometer is your best friend here, but the batter drop test works well too.
Top The Chaat
Step 8: Whisk 1 cup plain yogurt with 2 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Add a little water to make the yogurt pourable.
Step 9: Arrange 3-4 hot, crispy fritters on a serving plate.
Step 10: Top them with 3-4 tablespoon of yogurt.
Step 11: Top with 2 teaspoon green chutney and 2 teaspoon tamarind chutney.
Step 12: Finally, sprinkle some red chili powder, roasted powder, chaat masala powder, and salt. Garnish with fine sev and serve immediately.
Palak Patta Chaat FAQs
You can top the chaat with chopped onions, pomegranate kernels, and chopped cilantro.
Yes, you can. Arrange the batter-coated leaves in a single layer, spray with oil, and air-fry at 180°C (360°F) for 4 minutes per side. The result is slightly less golden than deep-fried, but still delicious and noticeably lighter.
Soggy palak chaat has three common causes:
1. Wet spinach leaves: Always wipe them very well before battering.
2. Oil that isn’t hot enough: Test with the batter-drop method.
3. Assembling too early: Dress the chaat only moments before you serve it.
The fried spinach will stay good for upto 2 hours, no more. After that, they will become soggy, and the chaat will not taste good. You can re-crisp them in an air fryer or oven at 200°C (400°F) for 3–4 minutes just before assembling. Never add the yogurt and chutneys in advance.
You can whisk the yogurt with sugar and refrigerate it for up to a day.
Green chutney can be made 2-3 days in advance, while sweet chutney can be kept well in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Never assemble the chaat in advance, as it will become soggy in just 5 minutes. Assemble it just before serving.
Pro Tips By Neha
Follow the measurements correctly. Use standard cups and spoon measures to measure the ingredients.
Yogurt and chutneys to top the pakoras should be pourable. If they are thick, then thin them down with some water. I also like to chill them for a few hours before using them in the chaat.
Other Spinach Recipes We Recommend
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Palak Chaat Recipe (Crispy Palak Patta Chaat)
Ingredients
To Fry The Spinach
- 15-20 spinach leaves (palak patta)
- ¾ cup chickpea flour (besan, gram flour)
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small pinch baking soda
- 2-3 cups oil (for frying)
To Top The Chaat
- 1 cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup green chutney
- ½ cup tamarind chutney
- red chili powder (as required)
- roasted cumin powder (as required)
- chaat masala powder (as required)
- salt (as required)
- fine sev (as required)
Instructions
Fry The Spinach
- Rinse the spinach leaves under cold water. Discard any wilted or damaged ones. Now, and this is the most important step, wipe each leaf completely dry using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Moisture on the leaf surface prevents the batter from adhering properly and is the number-one cause of soggy palak chaat. Don’t skip this.
- Mix besan, cornflour, ajwain, salt, and baking soda in a bowl using a wire whisk.
- Add water little by little, whisking to make a smooth, lump-free, flowing batter.
- Heat 2-3 cups of oil in a pan over medium-high heat to fry the pakora. Once the oil is hot (175°C, 350°F), reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Hold each dried spinach leaf by the stem. Dip it fully into the batter, coating both sides evenly, then drop it gently into the hot oil.
- Deep fry until golden brown on both sides. Use a tong or a perforated ladle to flip the pakora. Drain on a tissue-lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Fry all the leaves in the same manner.
Top The Chaat
- Whisk yogurt with sugar and salt. Add a little water to make the yogurt pourable.
- Arrange 3-4 hot, crispy fritters on a serving plate.
- Top them with 3-4 tablespoon of yogurt.
- Top with 2 teaspoon green chutney and 2 teaspoon tamarind chutney.
- Finally, sprinkle some red chili powder, roasted powder, chaat masala powder, and salt. Garnish with fine sev and serve immediately.