PAANI PURI

Paani Poori is a famous Mumbai street style food! Mumbai and many other Indian cities are quite famous for their street side food culture. The name paani poori comes from the two main ingredients used in this dish i.e. chatpata paani (spicy water) and poori (crispy fried Indian flatbread).

This dish resembles Delhi’s Gol Gappe and Kolkata’s puchkaas! The small crispy pooris can either be made at home or store bought. These are filled with a stuffing of boiled potatoes and cooked black chanaa and green moong or then in Mumbai style with cooked White Peas and are then dipped in the spicy and then sweet paani. The poori once filled is to be immediately stuffed into the mouth before all the water from it makes it soggy!

Many a times, the paani poori masala available in the market is used in making the chatpata water. In this recipe no such masala has been used as the freshly ground spice paste itself gives the paani a very delicious flavour.

For some more interesting dishes, do take a look at the following recipes too!

1. Chanaa Chaat
2. Ram Laadoo (Delhi Street Food)
3. Paneer Pizza Dosa
4. Healthy Haraa Chanaa Peanut Sesame Balls
5. Kothimbir Vadi

Here’s the recipe for the most delicious Paani Poori…

Serves : 5

Cup Used : 200 ml

INGREDIENTS :

• 50 Puffed Crispy Pooris
• 5 cups Water
• 2 1/2 tbs Tamarind Extract
• 3 tbs Mint Corriander Chutney
• 1/2 cup Date And Tamarind Chutney
• 1 1/2 tsp Black Salt… To be adjusted
• 1/2 tsp Corriander Powder
• 1/4 tsp Cumin Powder
• Salt to Taste

For The Mint Corriander Chutney For The Spicy Water :

• 3/4 cup Mint Leaves
• 1/2 cup Corriander Leaves
• 4 Green Chillies (Spicy Variety)
• 1 Small Garlic Clove
• 1/4″ Ginger
• 1 Clove
• 2 Black Peppercorns
• Salt To Taste

For The Date And Tamarind Chutney :

Sweet And Sour Dates And Tamarind Chutney

For The Tamarind Extract :

• 3 tbs Tamarind
• 1/4 cup Hot Water

For The Filling :

• 1 1/4 cup Dried White Peas
• 2 pinches Asafoetida
• 2 pinches Turmeric Powder
• 6 Potatoes

METHOD :

1. To make Paani Puri, first soak the Dried White Peas for about 8-9 hours or overnight in sufficient water.
2. After the soaking period, wash them throughly and cook them in a pressure pan adding water a little above the level of the peas, as well the asafoetida and turmeric powder.
3. Cook for 3 whistles on high flame and then on low heat for about 8-10 minutes.
4. Boil the potatoes and peel them. Smash them slightly and set aside.
5. For the spicy water, grind together the ingredients mentioned for the chutney using water as required.
6. For the tamarind extract, soak the tamarind in hot water for about half an hour.
7. Smash the tamarind well with the fingers in the soaked water and squeeze it to get the extract. Discard the squeezed tamarind and use the extract.
8. To make the Paani Puri water, in a mixing bowl add the required water.
9. To it add the mentioned tamarind extract, spicy mint corriander chutney, dates tamarind chutney, black salt, corriander powder, cumin powder and salt to taste.
10. For a spicier paani, add more of the mint corriander chutney and less of the dates and tamarind chutney, whereas for a little sweeter paani it’s vice versa!
11. Add tamarind extract and adjust as per preferred tanginess.
12. Mix well and check seasoning. Adjust the chutneys and the black salt further as per preference.
13. Add a little water to some Date And Tamarind chutney and mix well to get some sweet paani to be served with the Paani Poori.
14. Chill the prepared chatpata paani mixture as well as the sweet paani in the refrigerator for a few hours.
15. Arrange the pooris, ragdaa, potatoes, chatpata and the sweet paani on a platter and garnish with corriander leaves and khara boondi.
16. Serve this delicious Paani Poori to guests on special occasions or during parties!