Pani Puri

Pani Puri (Golgappa)

India's most addictive street snack: crisp hollow puris filled with spiced potato and chickpea, drowned in tangy tamarind-mint water and eaten whole in a single bite. Best assembled to order at the table so the shells stay shatter-crisp.

Prep

40 min

Cook

25 min

Total

65 min

Serves

6 (about 36 puris)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •180 g (1½ cups) atta (whole-wheat flour), or fine semolina for a crunchier puri, or null
• •60 g (½ cup) fine semolina (rava), helps the puri crisp, or null
• •1 g (¼ tsp) salt
• •1 ml (¼ tsp) baking soda, optional, keeps puris pale, or null
• •120 ml (½ cup) warm water
• •500 ml (2 cups) neutral oil, for deep-frying; peanut or sunflower oil are traditional
• •300 g (10½ oz) boiled potatoes
• •150 g (¾ cup) boiled chickpeas
• •1 g (½ tsp) roasted cumin powder
• •1 g (½ tsp) chaat masala
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) Kashmiri red chili powder
• •2 g (½ tsp) salt
• •30 g (¼ cup) finely chopped red onion
• •15 g (2 tbsp) chopped cilantro
• •50 g (3 tbsp) seedless tamarind paste
• •20 g (1 heaped tbsp) jaggery or dark brown sugar
• •2 g (1 tsp) chaat masala
• •1 g (½ tsp) roasted cumin powder
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) Kashmiri red chili powder
• •2 g (½ tsp) black salt (kala namak), essential for the sour-salty edge, or null
• •500 ml (2 cups) cold water
• •40 g (1 cup lightly packed) fresh mint leaves
• •20 g (½ cup) fresh cilantro
• •10 g (1 small piece) fresh green chili
• •5 g (1 tsp) ginger
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: combine the atta, semolina, salt, and baking soda (if using) in a bowl. Add warm water a tablespoon at a time and knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a very stiff, smooth dough (stiffer than chapati dough). Cover with a damp cloth and rest 20 minutes.
2. 2 Divide the dough into 18-20 g balls (about 36 total). Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a thin round about 7 cm / 2¾ in across. Keep covered as you work so they don't dry out.
3. 3 Heat oil in a deep pan to about 180 °C / 350 °F (a small piece of dough should sizzle and rise immediately but not brown instantly). To test without a thermometer: drop in a tiny scrap; if it sinks then rises to the surface bubbling, the oil is ready. Too hot and the puris will brown before they puff; too cool and they will soak up oil and stay dense.
4. 4 Fry puris in small batches of 4-5. Slide one in and gently press the top with a slotted spoon within 2-3 seconds to encourage it to puff; if it doesn't puff on its own, that is normal for home kitchens - a small crack with no oil leaking out is acceptable. Fry 45-60 seconds per side until pale gold and crisp. Drain on paper towels. They should sound hollow when tapped.
5. 5 Make the filling: mash the warm potatoes, then fold in the chickpeas, roasted cumin, chaat masala, chili powder, salt, onion and cilantro. Taste and adjust salt. The mix should be dry and crumbly, not wet.
6. 6 Make the tamarind base: in a small saucepan combine the tamarind paste (or strained tamarind water), 120 ml / ½ cup of the measured cold water, and the jaggery. Warm gently for 3-4 minutes, whisking, until the jaggery dissolves. Stir in the chaat masala, roasted cumin, chili powder, and black salt. Cool completely.
7. 7 Make the mint water: blend the mint, cilantro, green chili and ginger with 60 ml / ¼ cup of cold water until very smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract all liquid (discard the fibrous pulp).
8. 8 Combine the mint liquid, the cooled tamarind base, the lemon juice and the remaining cold water (about 320 ml / 1¼ cups, adjust to taste). Chill until ice-cold. The 'pani' should taste bold - tangy, salty, a little sweet, and herbal. Adjust with more black salt, lemon, or chili before serving.
9. 9 Assemble and eat immediately: gently crack the top of a puri with your thumb to make a 1.5 cm / ½ in opening, taking care not to crush the sides. Spoon in about 1 tbsp potato-chickpea filling, then dunk or spoon the chilled pani in until the puri is nearly full.
10. 10 Eat the whole puri in one bite - that is the point. Serve extra pani on the side for refills, and assemble only 2-3 puris per person at a time so the shells stay crisp.
11. 11 SAFETY NOTE: deep-frying oil is the main hazard. Use a heavy, deep pan no more than one-third full; lower puris in gently away from you; keep a lid nearby to smother any flare-up; never leave hot oil unattended. The pani water is served cold, not cooked, so the green chili, mint and cilantro should be rinsed well; if you are pregnant, immunocompromised, or serving young children, use bottled water instead of tap water in the pani.