Panipuri
little spheres of joy that burst in your mouth
Panipuri (water bread) is a popular Indian street food consisting of small, hollow, crispy puri (bread) filled with aloo (potato) a spicy and tangy mixture and topped up with some flavoured water (pani). The dish is known for its bold flavors and is typically served as a snack in India and other parts of South Asia.
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
Serves
12+
30 min
THE FACTS
Stays moist for 4 days in the fridge
Able to freeze
Cheap ingredients
Can add different fillings or toppings
INGREDIENTS
ALOO FILLING
(potato filling)
x3 400g medium potatoes
x1 163g medium onion
1.5 tbsp 5g chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp 4g roasted cumin powder
1 tsp 4g chaat masala powder
¼ tsp red chili powder – optional
1 tsp 7g black salt or regular salt or pink salt
Puri
(bread)
Available at your Indian grocery store and last forever (pre deep fried)
Pani
(water)
1 cup 35g chopped mint leaves
1 cup 20g chopped coriander leaves
1 small knob 44g ginger
3 75g green chilies
1 tsp 26g tamarind
4 tbsp 48g jaggery powder
1 tsp 3g roasted cumin powder
1 tsp 3g chaat masala powder
⅓ cup 84g water for blending
1 to 1.5 tablespoons boondi (optional)
1tsp 5g black salt
⅓ cup 84g water to dilute / serve
These little spheres of joy are often enjoyed by bursting the puri in your mouth, creating a burst of refreshing, savory flavors. It’s a relatively simple dish to create. If you can’t find the ingredients at your grocery store, head to an Indian grocery shop and they will have all you need.
1 min
2 min
22 min
METHOD
POTATO FILLING METHOD
1. Boil your potatoes until they are fork tender and let cool in the colander. When the potatoes have cooled dice into 1/2 centimeter cubes.
2. Dice onion to about 1/2 the size of the potato so it disperses the flavour when eating.
3. Remove mint and coriander from the stems and keep in separate bowls as you will be using some for the puri and some for the potato filling.
4. Combine the onion and potatoes HOLD UP don't mix it just yet.
5. Add the chaat masala, chilli powder, cumin, shredded coriander and salt to the onion and potatoes, mix together gently so that you don't mash the potatoes.
5.1 Cover and place in the fridge ready to later assembly.
PURI METHOD
1. Add the mint and coriander to the blender
2. Softened tamarind, roughly chopped ginger and chillies. Followed by chaat masala, jaggery powder, roasted cumin powder. Add the water and blend until ginger and chillies have been blitzed.
3. Decant into a jug or bowl cover and place in the fridge to water down later.
Dilute your puri by adding some chilled water to a few tablespoons of puri mixture. The amount is up to you.
PANI
1. Heat vegetable oil and fry pani disks, if you would prefer you can purchase pani balls from an Indian grosser.
ASSEMBLY
1. With the back of a teaspoon lightly tap the puri ball to create an opening wide enough to spoon in some potato mixture.
2. Add 2 tablespoons or so of the aloo (potato mixture) not too much as this is a pop all in the mouth deal
3. With the diluted pani mixture top up the puri ball then pop in your mouth and pop.
The explosion will be a burst of flavour and 1 simply won’t be enough.
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