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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Pani Puri- Nirvana at Home

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I had gone missing from blogsphere for a week simply coz I had a home full of loved ones n' was happy being busy. My mom n' my sister n' family were here with me for a vacation n' I had a great time with them....the best part about moving back to India is the amount of time I get to spend with my family. Coming back to this post. I can easily call Pani Puri my all time favourite snack....when I say all time, I really mean it....I can have it all the time/ anytime of the day n' relish it. For those who have never had it, Pani Puri is a popular street snack in India. It comprises a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of water, tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It is small enough to fit completely in one's mouth. The first time I had them was when I moved to Bangalore for my studies 10yrs back. I couldn't hold the whole puri in my mouth the first time around n' I remember thinking to myself 'how did I live to be 20 without ever tasting this?' I hunt for the best Pani Puri joint everywhere I go. In Bahrain, I had a Biharikaka who made such divine pani puri....n' he wud give me 2 extra sukka puri just to see how happy it made me, I think. ;)

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I could have pani puri off the street vendor n' not think too much about it, but gone are those days....i'm more concerned about hygiene of the food n' the environment now. I don't eat pani puri or anything which uses water or fresh fruits n' veggies from a street vendor anymore. My youngest cousin,Indhu, who I love more than I can say, recently got typhoid n' was in really bad state. She was admitted in the hospital for 2weeks n' she has a small baby gal aged just over 1yr...everyone was so so worried about her. But now she is feeling better, the once healthy gal has become less than half her size, with really bad intestinal problems. I'm mentioning this in detail just so I can give out a word of caution to all who likes to eat from the streets. She caught it eating chat n' drinking some masala drink from one of the street vendors in Delhi. I also have to mention that her sis in law who ate/drank from the same place is ok. But really, the moral of the story is just that one needs to be cautious of where and what you are eating.

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Koshy's Calcutta Chat on Brigade Road dishes out the best chat in town for me, including a good pani puri. But that being a little far off n' me not frequenting Brigade Road anymore meant I have to find a new source...My mom n' my sister loves pani puri too, so I decided to make it for them. My mom found it hilarious that she has to wait for me to finish taking some snaps before they could dig in....lol..;). I used ready to use small puris n' pani puri masala for the water. So here you go.

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Ingredients:

1.Puri: 20nos

For the Filling:

2.Potato – 3 nos (medium-sized, boiled with salt, peeled and mashed)
3.Garlic – 2 to 3 pods (finely chopped)
4.Ginger – 1/2″ long piece (crushed/minced)
5.Coriander/Cilantro – 2tbsp (finely chopped)
6.Green Chili (optional) – 1 no (finely chopped)
7.Chili powder – 1 tsp
8.Garam Masala – 1 tsp
9.Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
10.Coriander Powder – 1/4 tsp
11.Amchur Powder/ Dry Mango Powder (optional) – 1/2 tsp
12.Salt – to taste
(add some fresh moong sprouts to get some extra flavour, I didn't have any with me so I didn't add it this time.)

For the Water:*

13. Everest Pani Puri Masala: 2tbsp
14. Lemon Juice: of half a lemon (medium size)
15. Mint Leaves: a palm full (crushed)
16. Salt: as per taste (keeping in mind that the masala already has some salt in it)
17. Green Chilli Paste: 2tsp
18. Tamarind Pulp: 2tsp
19. Dry Mango Powder: a pinch or 2
20. Water: as required (i used roughly 2cups)
21. Boondi
22. Chopped Onion

*all the ingredients mentioned under pani puri water, can be adjusted according to taste. I have mentioned how much I have used, but change it according to your taste.

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Method:

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients required for the Pani Puri water n' keep it aside. If you like the water chilled, keep this mixture in the refrigerator at this point. (I don't like mine chilled so I didn't do this). Do not mix the boondi n' chopped onions at this point. You can add that on top while serving.

Step 2: Mash the boiled potatoes n' mix all the ingredients. Keep it aside.

You are actually ready to serve. Even though the list of ingredients seems long, it requires hardly any prep time. Also, if you want to serve it to guests, you can do all the preparation in advance n' make the holes in the puri n' stuff the filling in, dip it in the pani puri water n' there you have it....;) mouthful, eyeful n' wonderful....lol

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20 comments:

  1. yum yum virtual treat I would say and lovely clicks

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  2. thank u Shrami....I must say that was super quick....;)

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  3. Omg, cant take my eyes from ur click, thats soo irresistible,stunning and makes me hungry..

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  4. used to be a fav of mine in chennai till i got married n ro detested the idea :O
    i had no idea abt indu..thts sad..nice to know shes fine now.
    lovely pics...

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  5. You are making me go hungry now :) Lovely pani puris and presentation.

    First time here and following you to keep in touch.

    Do drop by my space and would love for you to follow me too. :)

    Vardhini
    VardhinisKitchen

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  6. So true about hygiene when eating from streetside eateries ... Love the presentation and the panipuris look yummy..
    Reva

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  7. Very tempting and fabulous pani puri....Awesome pics dear....

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  8. hey miri..
    that pani puri left me drooling.....BTW, I am on GM diet now...those cuppies i made and gobbled up before the diet....LOL..i was so nervous about dieting and was stuffing myself before it!...Will tell u about the ressult once done...i can see a difference of 2 kgs already....we are a group of four school mates doing it, so some kind of encouragement..But for me, I am having headache every other day which s quite bad....else everything is fine:D

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  9. This is insanely good. I love this dish. I am constantly eating this at Indian restaurant and I never thought of making this at home..I have no idea why..

    And sweetie, tx once again for your lovely and thoughtful mail..I was supposed to write back to you my concerns + a big ty note but I haven't..just that thought completely slipped my mind with my son staying at home the whole week due to his allergy issues..
    The best way to thank you is to try the recipe,which I will pretty soon. Tx.

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  10. @ Shabs....all the best with your GM diet n' looking forward to the reveal day...;)

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  11. @CL....thank u...go on n' make this at home...it comes out well. ;)

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  12. Wowwwwwwww... looks simply amazing and tempting.. awesome clicks !!
    Indian Cuisine

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  13. I can much related to in eating pani poori when i was a newbie in Bangalore.....love u r version and as pp being my favorite love to give this recipe a try....bookmarking.....

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  14. Absolutely tempting ~ I could eat that whole thing! :)
    US Masala

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  15. looks fabulous wonderful pani puri

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  16. This is such a tasty treat! Looks rocking!

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  17. I'm fascinated. Not clear about what this actually is or tastes like. Is it a clear soup with a crispy open/empty dumpling shell that you fill with favorite things and put into the soup and eat? Yes?

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  18. Hi Marti, it is a popular street snack in India. It comprises a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of water, tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It is small enough to fit completely in one's mouth. :) And it taste sour, sweet n' spicy...:)...the puri is dipped inside the water (pani) and it has to be held inside the puri while you eat it. So in your mouth, when you bite the whole thing it will be a burst of crispy cover, spicy mashed potato n' the sour water. :)...i hope is somewhat clear now...:)

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