Panipuri

One of the famous street snacks which we were often denied from eating as kids. Amma made them at home so that we don't eat it out & fall sick. Each of us at home would gulp as much as our tummies could take in. It was fun making & also relishing it.

Panipuri differs from region to region. Irrespective of the way it's addressed in different parts of India, taste also changes from place to place. Everything depends on the local culture & flavor used in the day to day cooking.In general, any form of Golgappa or panipuri is a hollow, puffed, round dough which tastes like a crunchy shell. The shell by itself is not tasty, unless it is stuffed with special spicy potato-based stuffing & dipped in a masala water to fill up the hollow inside the dough. Usually the stuffing needs to be prepared separately & a small hole is made in the top centre of the dough with a finger to allow filling the hollow with the potato filling. It is then dipped in the masala water & served.

I'm sending this post to the Pallavi's Sunday Snacks-Chaats event.

Ingredients: -

For the puris: -
1 cup rava
1-2 tsp maida
Salt, very little
Warm water
Oil

For the filling: -
2 medium sized potatoes boiled & mashed
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 cup chick peas, soaked in water over night in Luke warm salt water
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp chat masala
coriander leaves
Salt

For the pani: -
2 tbsp tamarind juice or 1 tsp concentrated tamarind paste diluted in water.
2 tbsp jaggery
1 tsp black salt
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1 cumin powder
2-3 green chili
a small bunch of mint leaves
1 strand coriander leaves
1 tsp pepper powder
Salt

3-4 tsp of Tamarind chutney diluted or Pani Puri masala can be used instead

Method: -
Puris: -
1. In a mixing bowl, combine to form a coarse mixture with rava, salt & little warm water.
2. Little moisture has to be left. Now add maida. Maida does the job of a binding material.
3. Knead the dough well.
4. Add few drops of oil & again knead.
5. Cover it in a damp cloth & let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
6. Keep oil in a kadai & heat on medium flame.
7. Divide the dough into two halves.
8. Roll out each half one at a time into a big thin chapati.
9. Either using a small cup or a bottle cap, cut out puris from the chapati.
10. Fry the puris in batches.
11. Cover the extra puris in the damp cloth.
12. Repeat the same with the other half of the dough.

Filling: -
1. Pressure cook the soaked chick peas & potatoes.
2. Mash the potatoes & add red chili powder, chat masala & coriander leaves & mix well.
3. Add salt to the chick peas.

Thick curds combined with red chili powder & black salt or Soaked boondi can be also used.

Pani: -
1. Combine all the ingredients & grind to a fine paste.
2. In a mixing bowl containing required water, add the paste & mix well.
3. Keep it in the fridge & serve chilled with the puris.

Serving the Panipuri: -
1. Puncture & make a hole in each puri.
2. Fill it with a small quantity of mashed potato, chick peas, onions, boondi & curds.
3. Dip it in mint or tamarind water / pani & relish it.

Award time! This is my first award in the blogger world. Thanks Vidya for giving me this award. I forward it to the following blogger friends of mine.

Sagari, Spandana, Divya, Amy, Ramya, Saraswathy, & Lakshmi. Congrats girls :)