Pani Puri

Pani puri is a popular Indian street food snack made up of small, hollow, crispy balls known as puri. They are then filled with a mashed potato mixture and dipped into pani – a spicy and tangy flavoured water made from tamarind, mint, coriander, and spices. It’s a beloved snack food among us Maldivians as well.

Makes: about 20 pani puris

Ingredients:

For the puri

• ½ cup semolina flour
• 1 tbsp flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup lukewarm water
• 1 tsp oil (to apply on the dough)
• 1 tsp oil (to apply on the rolling pin and board before rolling the dough)
• 1 cup oil (for frying)

For the pani

• 2/3 cup coriander leaves
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 1 tsp chopped ginger (into 1-inch pieces)
• 3 chopped green chillies
• 1 tbsp deseeded tamarind paste
• ¼ cup lukewarm water
• 1 ½ tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 cup cold water

For the filling

• 3 cups water
• 300g largely chopped potatoes (cut into 1-2 inches)
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped onions
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup Bombay mix

Instructions:

1. Into a large bowl, add ½ cup semolina flour, 1 tbsp flour, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp baking soda. Mix well using your hand.
2. Gradually add ¼ cup lukewarm water while kneading with your hand, until the dough comes together. Then, knead for about 5 more minutes until the dough becomes smooth (it should be similar to a roshi dough).
3. Cover the bowl using food wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.
4. Once the dough has rested, remove the cover, add 1 tsp oil and knead for 2 minutes. Coat the rolling pin and rolling board with 1 tsp oil.
5. Then, roll the dough into a rectangular shape, about 12x11 inches.
6. Next, using a round cutter, cut out circles in the dough close together. Place each dough piece on a kitchen towel right after cutting it out, covering it with another clean towel while you cut out the remaining puris. You should be able to get about 20 puris.
7. Into the blender, add in 2/3 cup coriander leaves, ½ cup mint leaves, 1 tsp chopped ginger (cut into 1-inch pieces), 3 chopped green chillies, 1 tbsp deseeded tamarind paste and ¼ cup water. Blend for 30 seconds at high speed or until it becomes a wet mixture.
8. Then, transfer to a bowl and add 1 ½ tbsp lime juice, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ salt and 1 tbsp chilli powder. Mix well to combine everything. Add 1 cup cold water and mix well again. Strain the mixture into another bowl for a smooth pani. Set aside.
9. Into a pot, add 3 cups water and heat on high heat for 6 minutes. Then, add 300g largely chopped potatoes and boil for 10 minutes or until they get soft. Drain the water and transfer to a bowl. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then mash the potatoes with your hand.
10. Then, add 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, 1 tbsp chopped onions, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin powder and ½ tsp turmeric powder. Mix everything together with the mashed potatoes until combined. Set aside.
11. Into a small pot, add 1 cup oil and heat the oil on high heat for 8 minutes. Then, add 1 puri into the oil. Once the puri is added to the oil, it should sizzle and come up to the surface instantly.
12. Then, using a slotted ladle, flick hot oil on top of the puri as much as you can; if not, the puri won’t puff up and will remain flat.
13. Keep the puri in the oil for about 20-30 seconds on high heat, then flip it and remove from the oil. Transfer to a strainer or a plate lined with tissue to remove the excess oil and keep it crispy.
14. Repeat steps 11, 12 and 13 to fry all the puris.
15. Let the fried puri cool down for about 10 minutes. Then, poke a hole in each puri using your finger or the back of a spoon. Add in 1 tsp of the potato mixture and 1 tsp Bombay mix. Then, using a spoon, pour a few teaspoons of the spiced pani on top, and eat in it one bite. Enjoy!