Recipes from around the world: Pani Puri

Indian street food at its finest.

Pani puri is a popular Indian street food that consists of small, crispy balls filled with a mixture of spiced potatoes, chickpeas, and chutney. The real star of the dish, however, is the tangy and refreshing water (pani) that is poured into the puri just before eating. This recipe will show you how to make your own pani puri at home, so you can enjoy this delicious snack anytime you want!

Ingredients

FOR THE TAMARIND WATER

• 20 g wet tamarind (you can also use tamarind paste)
• 200 ml hot water 
• 1/2 tsp. black salt
• 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar

FOR THE FILLING

• 90 g canned chickpeas
• 225 g ready-made mashed potato
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bullet or jalapeño chilli, finely sliced
• 1/4 tsp. black salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. chaat masala
• Chaat masala, for sprinkling
• 20 shop-bought pani puri pieces
• Oil, to fry

Method

1. To make the tamarind water, place the wet tamarind and hot water together in a bowl. Mash, and leave to soak for one hour. 
2. Meanwhile, mix all the filling ingredients together and set aside.
3. Next, fill a deep pan with enough oil for deep frying and place over medium heat until the oil is hot. Drop four to five puris into the pan, they will rise to the surface and balloon up to just smaller than a golf ball. After about 40 seconds, flip over and remove from the oil quickly before they darken and place on a cooling rack to drain.
4. To finish the tamarind water, sieve the soaked mixture into a jug, and squeeze any remaining seeds or chunks of tamarind down with a spoon to get as much juice out of them as possible. Discard the used tamarind. Add the sugar, salt and spices to the sieved tamarind water and stir until dissolved.
5. To serve, pop a hole in the top of each puri with your finger and slightly widen it, taking care not to crack it open. Add some of the filling to each puri and sprinkle with a pinch of chaat masala. Just before serving, pour in some tamarind water and eat whole.

Courtesy of Gaurav Omprakash Samnani!

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