Pani Puris Recipes

PANI PURI

Steps:

• For the green mango water: Combine the green mango, chilies, cilantro, mint, lime juice and 1/2 cup water in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and add the cumin, black salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt and 3 cups water. Whisk to combine. Add sugar to taste (this will depend on the sweetness of the green mango).
• For the potato filling: Put the soaked black chickpeas in a small saucepan and fill the pan halfway with cold water. Stir in a pinch of baking soda and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer and cook until the chickpeas are tender, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a small pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
• Drain the chickpeas and potatoes and allow to cool slightly. The cooked chickpeas should yield about 1/4 cup. Peel the potatoes then mash with a potato masher until coarsely mashed. Add the chickpeas, cilantro, cumin, black salt, chili powder, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt.
• For assembly: Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 225 degrees F. Put the pani puri shells on a baking sheet and bake until crispy (you don't want the shells to brown at all), 3 to 5 minutes.
• To eat: One at a time, crack a small hole on top of the thinner side of a pani puri shell then add 1 teaspoon of the potato mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the green mango water. Pop the whole pani puri in your mouth in one shot. Eat the assembled pani puris as you make them since they will become soggy if they sit at all.

PANI PURI RECIPE (WATER & STUFFING)

Steps:

• If making sprouted moong stuffing then start prepping two days before. Follow the recipe for moong sprouts. On the day of serving, boil the moong sprouts as below. Stovetop pressure cooker: 1 whistle. Instant pot: Manual (high pressure) 2 mins.
• If making kala chana stuffing then start prepping one day before. Rinse and soak the chana for at least 8 hours or overnight. Boil the chickpeas as below. Stovetop pressure cooker: 2 whistles on High + 30 mins on med-low. Instant pot: Manual (high pressure) 30 mins
• On the same day, boil the potato in instant pot or pressure cooker until soft. Peel and roughly mash it.
• You'll need a pack of ready fry pani puri.
• Take out the required amount of puri in a bowl, drizzle a teaspoon of oil. Mix and coat all of them with oil.
• Arrange them in an air fryer in a single layer.
• Air fry them at 380 degrees F for 1 ½ - 2 minutes only. They will puff up so nicely. Remove it to a big bowl and repeat the same.
• Take mashed potato, boiled chickpeas, salt, ready masala and cilantro in a bowl. Mix well and keep it aside.
• OR
• Take mashed potato, boiled sprouted moong, boondi, salt and ready masala in another bowl. Mix well and stuffing are ready.
• (Tikha Pani):
• Add these ingredients in a grinder jar - mint leaves, cilantro, ginger, green chili, ready masala, black pepper, black salt, salt and 1 cup of water.
• Grind it into a smooth puree.
• Add that into a bowl or pitcher. Add remaining water and stir.
• Freshly squeeze the lemon juice in it, mix and taste. Adjust the salt and lemon juice as needed.
• OR (Khatta Meetha Pani):
• Make the same tikha pani as above minus the lemon juice and keep it ready. In another bowl take tamarind paste, jaggery and ½ cup of warm water. Keep stirring until jaggery melted.
• Then add roasted cumin powder and fennel powder. Mix well.
• Add this tamarind jaggery water to the prepared tikha pani. Mix and khatta meetha pani is ready.

PANI PURIS

Steps:

• Make the pani water. Place the coriander, mint, ginger, green chillies and tamarind pulp in a blender and blitz into a paste. Place in a water jug and add the chilled water and remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
• Begin making the puris. Combine the chakki atta, fine semolina, a little sea salt to season and 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large bowl. Mix well and then gradually add 80-85ml of luke-warm water to create a stiff dough. Cover with a clean damp tea towel and allow to rest for 30 mins.
• For the filling, place the chickpeas and potatoes in separate large pans. Cover both with water and add 1/4 tsp asafoetida to the chickpea pan. Bring both to the boil. Cook the potatoes until softened and then drain. Once the chickpea pan is boiling, bring down to a simmer and cook for a further 10 mins. Drain both together and leave to cool.
• Once the dough has rested, grease your fingers with oil and knead the dough for at least 5 mins. Return the dough to the bowl, cover again and rest for a further 30 mins.
• Once rested, knead again with a little oil for a further 5 mins. You should now have a very smooth dough. Cover and allow to rest for a further 30 mins.
• Once the chickpeas and potatoes have cooled, place them in a large bowl with the other filling ingredients, season and mix well.
• Divide the dough into 3 and roll out 1/3 to 50p thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut disks 6cm in diameter. Cover the disks with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the other 2/3rds of the dough. Rest the disks for another 30 mins. Heat your oil to 180C (if you don't have a thermometer, simply take a tiny piece of bread and if it turns golden brown in seconds, your oil is ready). Carefully place the puris into the oil and when they begin to rise up to the surface, gently hold a ladle down on top of them. This helps the puris to puff up. When the puris are golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
• To eat, take a crisp puri, create a small hole in the centre. Fill the puri with a little of the chickpea and potato filling. Then pour in the chilled pani and finally add a little sev and a few fresh pomegranate seeds. Eat the puri in one go.