Ingredients
Puris
- 200 gfine semolina, sooji
- 50 gplain flour
- ½ tspsalt
- ¼ tspbicarbonate of soda
- about 120 ml warm water
- oil, for deep frying
Pani, the water
- 1large bunch mint
- 1large bunch coriander
- 3green chillies
- 3cm ginger
- 80 gtamarind pulp in 200 ml warm water
- 2 tbspchaat masala
- 1 tbspblack salt, kala namak
- 1 tsproasted cumin powder
- 1 tspsugar
- 1.2 litrescold water
- salt
Filling
- 3potatoes, boiled and diced small
- 200 gcooked white peas or chickpeas
- 1onion, finely chopped
- 1 tspchaat masala
- ½ tspred chilli powder
- salt
To finish
- tamarind chutney
- sev
- chopped coriander
Directions
- Use mostly semolina rather than flour. Semolina is what makes the puri puff hollow and stay crisp, and a flour-heavy dough gives soft chewy discs.
- Knead it hard for 8 to 10 minutes into a very stiff dough, much firmer than a chapati dough. It should be genuinely tough to knead. Cover with a damp cloth and rest 30 minutes. Roll the dough out into one very large, very thin sheet, about 1.5 mm.
- Roll it thin and, crucially, evenly. Any thick patch will not puff and the puri stays flat. Cut small rounds of about 4 cm with a cutter or a bottle cap. Keep the cut rounds under a damp cloth, because they dry out within a minute and dry ones will not puff. Heat the oil to 190°C (375°F), which is hotter than for most frying. They should balloon within seconds.
- Fry them until they are properly crisp and dry rather than merely coloured, or they go soft within the hour. Drain on a rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight tin. Blend the mint, coriander, chillies and ginger with a little water into a fine green paste.
- Squeeze the tamarind pulp in warm water with your fingers and strain it, discarding the seeds and fibres. Work the tamarind by hand rather than stirring it, because most of the sourness clings to the flesh around the seeds.
- Mix the green paste and tamarind water into the cold water with the chaat masala, black salt, cumin, sugar and salt. Now chill the pani for at least 2 hours, and taste it cold.
- Mix the diced potato, peas, onion, chaat masala and chilli powder for the filling. Spoon in a little filling, dip the whole puri into the pani, and eat it immediately in one mouthful. It must go in whole and go in at once.
Technique
- Ready-made puris are sold in every Indian shop and using them is entirely normal.
- Kolkata puchka uses more tamarind and a mashed potato filling with black salt.
- The sweet tamarind chutney version, meetha pani, is offered alongside the hot green one.
Substitutions
- Shop-bought puris, which saves the hardest part.
- Lemon juice with a little amchur in place of tamarind.
Variations
- Puchka, the Kolkata version.
- With meetha pani, sweet tamarind water.
- Dahi puri, filled with yoghurt and chutney instead of water.
History
One dish with many names: golgappa in Delhi, puchka in Kolkata, pani puri in Mumbai, gup chup in Odisha, each with its own water.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pani Puri?
Pani Puri is a street food from India: crisp hollow puris filled with spiced tangy water and potato. One dish with many names: golgappa in Delhi, puchka in Kolkata, pani puri in Mumbai, gup chup in Odisha, each with its own water.
How long does Pani Puri take to make?
Pani Puri takes 1 hr plus 30 min resting of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings, about 60 puris. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Pani Puri?
Yes, within limits. Shop-bought puris, which saves the hardest part. Lemon juice with a little amchur in place of tamarind.
What is the most important thing to get right in Pani Puri?
Use mostly semolina rather than flour. Semolina is what makes the puri puff hollow and stay crisp, and a flour-heavy dough gives soft chewy discs.
