Pani Puri Recipe | How to make Pani Puri

Pani Puri is a popular Indian street food, also known as golgappa or puchka. It is made using puri, pani, potato stuffing, sweet chutney, cooked peas and boondi. It is commonly found in street side stalls and small chaat shops. The taste is a mix of spicy, tangy and little sweet all together in one bite. It should be had fresh as it gives a crunchy outer layer and juicy filling inside.

It feels light but still filling because of potato and peas filling used inside. The pani made with tamarind and mint give refreshing flavor which makes it different from other snacks. Mint and coriander also help in digestion and keep the dish feeling light even after eating few puris.

About Pani Puri Recipe

‘Pani’ in Hindi means water and ‘Puri’ means deep fried flat bread. So Pani Puri translates to puri filled with water. Pani Puri is made with crisp puris filled with spiced potato stuffing, cooked yellow peas, raw onion, sweet chutney, finally dipped in prepared pani and served immediately.

First the puris are prepared, you can use store bought puris or the dried ones which can be fried as and when needed. I usually make homemade puris whenever I have time. The puris are filled with stuffing, the stuffing can be mashed potatoes, boiled sprouts, peas or channa along with chutneys. The final step is adding chilled spicy pani inside each puri.

This chaat is known by different names in different states. Some call it golgappa, some call it puchka. The flavors slightly change from region to region. In some places the pani is more spicy, in some places it is more tangy but the base idea remains the same. This chaat is usually made during evenings, small get togethers or festival times at home.

This recipe is very easy and quick if you have the puris ready. You need not make separate tamarind extract or sweet chutney for the pani, the pani has everything included in it so easy and quick to put together.

The pani puris texture is what makes it special. The outer shell is crisp, inside you get soft potato, crunchy onion, boondi and finally burst of flavored water. Sweet chutney and balance the spice. Many variations are there like ragda filling or adding boondi, sev, sprouts etc.

Pani Puri Video

Pani Puri Ingredients

• Puris – I have used homemade puris, I usually make it the previous day and store it. You can use store bought puris too. These days dried puris are easily available in super markets, they can be fried or air fried anytime you want.
• Tamarind – This add slight tanginess, I used this for making the pani water. You can also use lemon juice instead if it is not available
• Mint and coriander leaves – I just added these for fresh flavor in the pani. It gives nice taste and aroma. It gives strong refreshing taste.
• Ginger, Green chilli – added for digestion, heat and flavor.
• Chat masala and roasted cumin powder – I have used this to flavor the pani. Amchur powder can be used instead.
• Red chili powder, Pepper powder – is added for heat and spice. Adjust according to your liking.
• Potatoes – I added boiled potatoes for the main filling. It gives softness and mild taste. You can add channa instead.
• Yellow peas – I have used cooked yellow peas for protein and texture. It gives slight bite inside. Boiled channa can be used too.
• Sweetness – You can use sweet chutney but this recipe has sweetness in the pani itself so sweet chutney is optional. 
• Onion – I used for crunch, it adds freshness and texture.
• Boondi – Boondi is added in the pani which gives nice texture and taste to the pani.

The puris are crisp and puffed, and they should not turn soft so once it is filling with stuffing and pani, it should be served at once. I usually make this at home on weekends when everyone feel like eating chaat but not going out. It is nice way to enjoy street style snack at home itself.

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Why This Recipe Works

• It is simple homemade version that gives street style flavor.
• This recipe balances spicy, tangy and sweet taste.
• You can them advance in parts and assemble later.
• It is fun snack that works well for small gatherings.
• This recipe allows many filling variations as per preference.

How to make Pani Puri Step by Step

Homemade Puris

1.First make the puris and store it. You can check the recipe here.

To make Potato Stuffing

2.To a mixing bowl add 3 medium sized boiled potatoes mashed. Add ½ cup chopped onion, 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, salt to taste, 11/2 teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon chat masala powder, ¾ teaspoon cumin powder and ¼ teaspoon black salt.

3.Mix it well and set aside.

To make Pani

4.To a mixer jar add ½ cup mint leaves, 1 cup coriander leaves, one 1 inch ginger, 2 green chillies, 3 tablespoon jaggery, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, ¼ teaspoon black salt, 1 ½ tablespoon tamarind, 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, ¾ teaspoon chat masala powder, salt to taste.

5.Add little water.

6.Grind it fine.

7.Transfer this to a strainer.

8.Strain well and discard the remains.

9.Add around 2 cups cold water and mix well. Adjust water according to your taste and preference.

10.Add 2 tablespoon boondi, mix well.

Assembling

11.All the items are ready. I soaked ½ cup yellow peas overnight pressure cooked for 3 whistles and made it ready. The pani itself has sweetness so sweet chutney is optional but if you prefer you can add it.

12.Crack open a puri.

13.Add potato stuffing, cooked yellow peas.

14.Add raw onion, sweet chutney if needed.

15.Dip in prepared pani and serve immediately.

Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

• Puri – Prepare puris that are crisp and puffed well.
• Pani – Maintain the perfect mix of spicy, tangy, salty, and slightly sweet.
• Filling – Do not over-mash potatoes, it should have some bits and pieces. The texture improves the eating experience.
• Chilling – I used cold water. You can refrigerate the pani at least one hour before serving so the flavors blend well. 
• Assembling – I fill and serve immediately after adding pani. I do this at serving because puris become soggy very fast.

Serving and Storage

Serve them immediately with freshly prepared fillings and chilled pani. This goes well as an evening snack or small party item. Store puris in airtight container for about a week. Also pani can be refrigerated for one day. Leftover fillings can be used for sandwiches or chaat bowls.

FAQS

1.Can I use store bought puri?

Yes use ready made puris to save time. Just make sure they are crisp and not broken. You can either buy readymade puris or the dried ones that can be fried anytime you need them.

2.Can I make pani ahead?

Yes pani can be prepared few hours before serving, keep it refrigerated so that the flavor stays fresh.

3.Can I skip onion in filling?

Yes onion can be skipped if not preferred. The taste will still be good with chutneys and potato. But I love chopped raw onion as it gives the best chat flavor.

4.Can I make potato stuffing ahead?

Yes you can make potato stuffing and cooked yellow peas and store in fridge. Few hours before serving you can remove from fridge.

5.How long can I store puris?

Store in fridge, Puri stays good for around 2 weeks. 

If you have any more questions about this Pani Puri do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

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