Pani puri

Crisp, hollow fried shells filled with spiced potato and chickpeas, then dunked in tangy mint-tamarind water. Each one bursts in the mouth in one bite.

Pani puri

Pani Puri1: Sruthi612, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Where it comes from

Pani puri is a beloved street snack across India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, known by names like golgappa and puchka. Vendors fill each shell to order, and eating them fast is part of the fun.

Explore the cuisine of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan.

Recipe

Make Pani puri at home

Serves 4Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 30 ready-made puri shells
  • 2 potatoes, boiled and diced
  • 1/2 cup boiled chickpeas
  • 1 cup mint leaves
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 1 tsp black salt
  • 1 tsp chaat masala
  • 4 cups cold water
  • Sweet tamarind chutney, sev

How it's made

  1. Blend mint, cilantro, green chilies, tamarind, cumin, black salt and a little water until smooth.
  2. Strain into the cold water, add chaat masala and chill.
  3. Mix potatoes and chickpeas with salt and a pinch of chaat masala.
  4. Crack the top of each puri with your thumb.
  5. Fill with a spoonful of potato mixture and a drop of sweet chutney.
  6. Fill with the chilled spiced water just before serving.
  7. Eat immediately in one bite.

Variations

  • Dahi puri filled with yogurt and sweet chutneys.
  • Sweet pani puri with dates and tamarind.
  • Sev puri, flat version.

Cook’s tip: Fill and eat right away; the shells go soft within a minute.

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About this page

Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.

Photo credit