Pani puri is a lip smacking recipe and I love it since I was so small that the puri would barely fit into my mouth. I remember my cousins and myself used to queue at a “thelawala” (roadside vendor) outside my cousin’s place at 6:00 p.m sharp to have panipuri!
Pani puri is basically crispy round puris stuffed with potatoes and boiled gram and some sweet and spicy sauces.If you just have one, the scrumptious taste will lure you have more and more!
The ingredients for pani puri are:
- The puris ( recipe below)
- The pani (the spicy water-recipe below)
- The sweet chutney (recipe below)
- 2 boiled and mashed potatoes sprinkled with chat masala
- 1 cup boiled moong(green gram) or soaked and boiled ragada (dried white peas)
So let’s begin with making the puris
Ingredients:
To make the puris (makes about 30 puris)
- 1 cup fine semolina (rava)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour/maida
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 warm cup water
- oil
Making the dough is the most important step in making the puris. In a large mixing bowl add the semolina, all purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
Now slowly add water and knead the dough well. The dough will be firm and harder than the dough that we make for usual puris or chapattis. If you think it is too hard consider adding 2-3 teaspoons of water more and a little more purpose flour, one teaspoon at a time. Make sure not to overdo the all purpose flour as the resultant will be chewy puris.
Cover the dough with a moist cloth or a plastic cling wrap for atleast 20 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, divide into two equal parts.
Take the first part and roll it into a real thin big circle using a rolling pin. Now using a cookie cutter or anything round, cut the big circle into smaller puris of about 3 inches diameter. If you make the circles too small you will not be able to stuff all the goodies into your puri. Repeat this with the second part of the dough.
Heat oil in a pan and check if hot enough by adding a small bit of the dough into it. If it is ready the dough will rise to the surface instantly.Now fry the puris in the oil by gently pressing them with the spatula so that they puff up nicely.Fry till they turn nice golden brown on both sides and transfer to a container covered with paper towel.
The Pani ( The spicy water):
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (1 bunch) mint leaves
- 5-6 green chillies
- 1 inch ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon black salt
- juice from half lemon
- salt
Grind the mint, green chillies and ginger into an smooth paste. Add salt, black salt, lemon juice and about 4 cups of cold water and give it a nice stir.
The sweet chutney: This chutney is common for most chat items and here is the recipe for it:
You will need 12-15 pitted dates and Tamarind (about the size of a lemon) soaked in water for about 20 minutes. Grind them into a smooth paste and add water as required.
To serve the pani puri:
Place about 5-6 puris in a plate and make a hole in the centre of each good enough to stuff all the yummy things.
First place the potatoes/ moong/ ragada at the bottom of the puri,next the sweet chutney and finally pour the pani and enjoy!
Sending this to the event:
http://bestofmykitchen.blogspot.in/2012/03/host-ep-series.html
