Pani Puri
User Reviews
4.9
Pani Puri
Description
Pani Puri starts with a stuffing made from boiled, chopped potatoes mixed with optional finely chopped onion, fresh coriander, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, black or regular salt, and optional red chili powder to taste. This filling supplies a savory, spiced base for the snack.
The pani is prepared by blending together chopped mint leaves, coriander (cilantro), ginger, green chilies, tamarind, jaggery powder (or sugar), roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, and black salt with a small amount of water. More water is added to adjust consistency, producing a spicy, tangy, sweet, and herbaceous flavored water. The boondi (tiny fried gram flour balls) may be added to the pani to add texture.
To assemble, the top of each crisp puri is cracked open and filled with the potato mixture and tamarind chutney if using, then filled with chilled pani. The puris are eaten quickly to enjoy the burst of flavors and avoid sogginess.
Alternative stuffing options include boiled white or black chickpeas, steamed moong sprouts, chopped onions, coriander leaves, or ragda (dry white peas curry). For spiciness, additional green chili can be added to the pani. Puris should be kept crispy, roasting lightly if softened. Fresh herbs and balanced seasoning are key to avoid bitterness or diluting flavors when thinning the pani.
Ingredients
For pani puri stuffing - * check notes for other options
- 2 to 3 potato medium-sized
- 1 onion - small to medium-sized, optional
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoons Coriander leaves cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder roasted
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder - optional
- black salt or regular salt or pink salt, as required
For pani recipe
- ½ cup mint leaves tightly packed, chopped
- 1 cup Coriander leaves tightly packed (cilantro, chopped
- 1 inch ginger - chopped
- 2 to 3 green chilies - chopped (for a less spicy pani, add about 1 green chili)
- 1 tablespoon tamarind - tightly packed
- 3.5 to 4 tablespoons jaggery powder or grated/chopped jaggery or sugar, add as required - check point 6 in notes
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder roasted
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ⅓ cup water for blending
- 1 to 1.25 cups water to be added later, add water as per the consistency you want
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoons boondi (fried tiny gram flour balls), optional
- black salt or regular salt, add as required
Other ingredients
- 24 to 30 Puri you could buy these puris readymade or make them at home
- 1 small bowl tamarind chutney or tamarind dates chutney - optional
Instructions
Making pani puri stuffing
- Boil the potatoes till they are cooked completely.
- Peel them and then chop them.
- Finely chop the onion if using it.
- In a small bowl, mix the potatoes, onions, coriander leaves, cumin powder, chaat masala powder and black salt or regular salt. Mix well and keep aside.
Making pani (spiced water)
- In a blender add all the ingredients mentioned above for the pani.
- Add water and grind to a fine chutney.
- Remove the green chutney in a large bowl. Rinse the mixer jar with ½ cup water first and then add this water in the bowl. Then add ½ to ¾ cup more water.
- Mix well. Check the seasoning. Add more salt or jeera powder or chaat masala or jaggery if required. If you want a thin pani, you could add some water. But keep on checking the seasoning, as per your taste.
- Add the boondi to the pani.
- You can chill the pani in the fridge or add some ice cubes to it.
Assembling pani puri
- Crack the top of the puri with a spoon.
- Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of the boiled potato-onion filling in the poori.
- Stir the green pani first and then add it in the poori. Optionally you can add some sweet chutney in the puri.
- Serve the pani puri immediately otherwise the prepared puri with stuffing and water will become soggy.
- You can also make individual portions with the puris, potato-onion mixture and the pani. Let the individual assemble the pani puri for himself/herself as per his/her taste.
Notes
- Ensure puris are crispy; if softened, roast lightly in a pan to restore crunch.
- Use fresh herbs and avoid the stems of mint leaves to prevent bitterness in the pani.
- Adjust sweetness in pani with jaggery and optionally seedless chopped dates to preference.
- Other filling options include steamed moong sprouts, boiled white or black chickpeas, boiled potatoes, chopped onions, and coriander leaves.
- Avoid adding too much water to the pani to keep flavors concentrated and balanced.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
You'll Also Love
Puff Pastry Tartlets with Roasted Pear, Caramelized Red Onions, Goat Cheese and Spicy Honey Drizzle
