Pani Puri with Mint Water and Tamarind Water
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Crisp puri shells filled with spiced potato and chickpeas, topped up with a fiery, chilled mint-coriander water and a sweet tamarind water, and eaten in one bite.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Soak. Break the tamarind into the hot water and leave for 30 minutes to soften.
- 2
Herbs. Blend the mint, coriander, ginger, chillies, lemon juice, cumin, chaat masala, salt, sugar and 250 ml of the cold water for 1-2 minutes, until very smooth.
- 3
Strain. Pour through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing on the pulp, then stir in the remaining 500 ml cold water. Chill until serving; the colder it is, the more refreshing.
- 4
Tamarind. Squeeze the soaked tamarind with your fingers to loosen the pulp, then push it through the sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds and fibres. Stir in the jaggery, cumin, chilli powder, salt and the 250 ml cold water until the sugar dissolves.
- 5
Potatoes. Boil the potatoes in unsalted water for 12-15 minutes, until tender. Drain, cool for 10 minutes, then crush roughly with the chaat masala, cumin, chilli powder and salt.
- 6
Chickpeas. Crush the chickpeas lightly with a fork and toss with the chaat masala.
- 7
Serve. Set out the puris, fillings and both waters. To eat, crack a small hole in the thin top of a puri, add a little potato and chickpea, fill with mint water and tamarind water to taste and eat in one bite.
Storage
The mint water keeps for 1 day and the tamarind water for 1 week in the fridge. The fillings keep for 2 days. Store the puris airtight at room temperature. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- 2 large bowls
- fine sieve
- blender
- jug
- medium saucepan
- potato masher
- serving bowls
- small spoons
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 213 kcal |
| Protein | 5.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.3 g |
| of which sugars | 12.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 7.9 g |
| Fat | 4.3 g |
| of which saturates | 0.5 g |
| Fibre | 4.8 g |
| Salt | 1.57 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
