Pani Puri
Pani Puri is a popular Indian street food snack consisting of crispy, hollow puris filled with a spicy potato and chickpea mixture, then drenched in a tangy, flavorful tamarind and mint water. This recipe provides a homemade version of this iconic treat. It's a burst of flavors and textures in every bite.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 5 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 388 kcal
Mise en place
Ingredients
puri
- 24 pcspuri, ready-made
- 2 cupoil, for frying
filling
- 2 pcspotato, boiled and mashed
- 0.5 cupchickpea, boiled
- 0.25 cupred onion, finely chopped
- 1 pcsgreen chili, finely chopped(optional)
- 2 tbspcoriander leaf, chopped
- 1 tspchaat masala
- 0.5 tspblack salt
spicy water
- 0.5 cupmint leaf, fresh
- 0.5 cupcoriander leaf, fresh
- 1 pcsgreen chili
- 15 gginger, peeled
- 2 tbsptamarind paste
- 1 tspcumin powder, roasted
- 0.5 tspblack salt
- 1 tspsugar
- 3 cupwater, chilled
Equipment
deep pan · slotted spoon · paper towels · fine-mesh sieve · blender · mixing bowl
The method
Step by step
- 1
Prepare the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed potato, boiled chickpea, chopped red onion, green chili, chopped coriander leaf, chaat masala, and black salt.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Ensure potatoes are fully cooled before mashing to prevent a gummy texture.
- 2
Mix the filling ingredients thoroughly until well combined.
About 2 min
- 3
Prepare the spicy water (pani): In a blender, combine the mint leaf, coriander leaf, green chili, ginger, tamarind paste, roasted cumin powder, black salt, and sugar with a small amount of the chilled water.
About 8 min
Cook’s note: Adjust green chili quantity to your preferred spice level.
- 4
Blend until a smooth paste forms, adding a little more water if needed to help it blend.
About 2 min
- 5
Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract all the liquid.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: This step ensures a smooth, pulp-free pani.
- 6
Add the remaining chilled water to the strained liquid and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: The pani should be tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet.
- 7
Chill the pani in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to enhance its flavors.
About 30 min
Cook’s note: Chilling is crucial for the refreshing experience.
- 8
Heat the oil in a deep pan or kadai over medium-high heat for frying the puris.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: The oil should be hot enough to make the puris puff up immediately.
- 9
Carefully drop a few puris into the hot oil. They should puff up within seconds.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Do not overcrowd the pan; fry in batches.
- 10
Flip the puris and fry until golden brown and crispy on all sides.
About 5 min
- 11
Remove the fried puris with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
About 5 min
- 12
To serve, gently tap a hole in the center of each puri with your thumb.
- 13
Fill each puri with a small amount of the potato and chickpea mixture.
- 14
Dip the filled puri into the chilled spicy water just before eating, ensuring it's completely submerged.
Cook’s note: Eat immediately to enjoy the crisp texture before it softens.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 387.6kcal
- Protein
- 6.4g
- Carbs
- 40.4g
- Fat
- 23g
- Fibre
- 5.7g
- Sugar
- 6.3g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store the puri filling and spicy water separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Pani Puri is best enjoyed fresh and cold; reheating is not recommended.