Pani Puri

Oooh! Yum! Just thinking about it makes me drool. Looks like I am going to drool all over my laptop. Shoot!

Pani puri is my favourite-est food eva! I can have it any time of the day, 'n' number of times without getting bored. Hell, I even argued with my husband about how it is healthy and not junk food. There's white peas which are complete proteins, there's mint and coriander which means green leafy vegetables. There are chillies which account for Vitamin C. There is tamarind, dates and jaggery which are all rich sources of iron. I have become a believer. Pani puri is healthy food. It helps my bowels move. Fact!!

Anyways jumping to the recipe.

What you will need

• Semolina Puris

Semolina Puris

• White peas (one cup) soaked for eight hours

White peas

• Potatoes about 2 medium sized 
• Turmeric powder about 1/2 tsp
• Dates about 1 cup
• Tamarind about 1 small lemon sized ball
• Jaggery about 1 cup grated 

jaggery

• 1 litre water
• Mint 1 bunch
• Coriander 1 bunch
• Green chillies about 5 small
• Ginger about 1 inch piece
• Tamarind paste about 1/4th cup
• Roasted cumin powder about 3 tsp
• Rock Salt as per taste

Rock salt

• Khaara boondi (optional)

Khaara Boondi

How to proceed

• Boil the white peas with water enough to cover the peas, in a pressure cooker. Let the whistle of the pressure cooker release steam once. Then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for ten minutes. 
• Boil the potatoes and peel them
• Mash the potatoes, add the cooked peas and turmeric and adjust the salt. Keep aside
• Cook the dates and tamarind together along with the jaggery in one cup of water. Remove the seeds (both date and tamarind) and blend the mixture in a food processor till it becomes smooth and free of lumps. This is your sweet and tangy chutney. Keep this aside too.
• Finally grind together the mint, coriander, cumin powder, tamarind paste, ginger and green chillies. Add this paste to one litre of water. Add rock salt to taste.
• Chill this above liquid (pani) in the refrigerator. 
• Optional, when serving you can add khara boondi to the pani.

How to serve

Ha! Indians needn't be told how to serve pani puri. They grow up watching their neighbourhood panipuriwala do it for them. 

But for everyone else... Here's a video.

Fill it, dunk it, then dump it! As easy as that!

Happy Cooking!!!