Paani Puri, a Fried, Crisp Shell Stuffed With Chick Peas and Tangy Juice

‘Pani-Puri’ is perhaps the most loved street food across India.This food has so many names across the states and so many types of fillings served with the ‘puris’. Puri is nothing but a special fried crunchy shell. You can get this in any Indian grocery store. ‘Pani’ means water or juice in this context.

I am so much in love with this food that as soon as I land in India I march to the ‘Pan-Puri’ stall and eat my share without worrying about germs or water contamination (till now I have been lucky). The best pain puri comes from a street stall where people are gathered from all walks of life to relish this item with watery eyes caused due to spicy taste of the ‘Pani’.

I learnt this version of ‘Pani-Puri’ from my friend who is from ‘Madhya pradesh’, India. It is very different from our usual recipe where tamarind and ‘Amchur’ (a green mango powder) are used to give sourness to the juice. Here Green mango is used,which adds a unique flavor to the ‘Pani’ which is tangy and tasty.This version of’ Pani-Puri’ is a big hit among all our friends and I usually make it for potluck parties too.

Ingredients

• Green mango–Half of it if small
• Mint leaves-A fistful
• Coriander leaves-A fistful
• Green ‘chillies’–3-4
• Ginger–1 small piece
• Black salt –14 teaspoon
• ‘Pani-Puri’ masala–2 teaspoons. You can get it in any Indian grocery store.
• Lime juice–1 teaspoon
• Salt and sugar to taste

Filling

• Chick peas–1 cup soaked overnight and cooked in pressure cooker
• Onions–1 chopped finely
• Chilli powder–1 teaspoon
• Potato–1 boiled and mashed
• Tamarind paste –1 teaspoon. You can get this in Indian grocery store.
• Chat masala and salt to taste. You can get this in Indian grocery store.

Recipe

Take green Mango and cook it in a pressure cooker or boiler and filter it in a sieve. Now add the pulp to water little by little and check the sourness of water.

Take coriander,’green chilles’, mint leaves and ginger and grind it in a mixer.Now add this paste to water and mix well.Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar.Add blacksalt,salt and chat masala and leave it for some time.Filter the water in a big sieve. Add lime juice. Your stuffing is ready.

Filling

Take mashed chick peas and add all the ingredients one after other and mash partially with hands.

Take the puri and fill it with filling,pour juice on it and sprinkle some chat masala over it and enjoy!

Note: You can skip the sugar part if you like only spicy ‘pani puri’.