Pani Puri / Golguppa

 Pani Puri is one of the famous street food of North India. Pani Puri was a delicacy where I grew up, in South India. We did not make it at home. We would wait at the Pani Puri tela wala (food cart) on the street (at the beach). We would pay RS. 5(about a quarter) to the guy(Pani Puri wala). He would hand us a small paper plate. Then he would pop a hole on top of a Golguppa (deep-fried Puri balls0, fill it with potato, chickpeas, and top it with spicy Pani Puri water or Sweet Pani Puri water. and place it on on our plate. We would get 10 Golguppas for a quarter. 

 I always buy the Pani Puri from the local Indian market. You can also find them at Costco. The Pani Puri container comes with dry Pani Puri spice that can be mixed with cold water. You can also make the spicy water with fresh cilantro and mint leaves.

Ingredients :

1 Box of fried Pani Puri.

1 Cup boiled and drained chick peas 

1 1/2 Cups potato for stuffing

3 Cups Spicy Green Pani (water)

1 Cup Sweet Pani 

1/2 Cup boondi

Ingredients for Potato stuffing:

2 Boiled potatoes

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 green chili, chopped (optional)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

1/2 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro 

Ingredients for Spicy Green Pani :

1 Cup tightly packed fresh cilantro

1/2 Cup tightly packed fresh mint

1/2 inch ginger

2-4 green chili

small pebble sized tamarind or 2 teaspoon tamarind paste

1 teaspoon chat masala

1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black peppercorn

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon black salt

1 pinch asafoetida

salt to taste

2 teaspoon lemon juice

3 Cups cold water

Ingredients for Sweet Pani:

1 Cup tamarind extract 

3 Tablespoon Jaggery or brown sugar

1 teaspoon chat masala

1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black peppercorn

1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

1 pinch asafoetida

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 Cups cold water

Method to make Potato for stuffing:

1. Peel cooked potato and mash it coarsely with a spoon.

2. Heat 1 spoon oil in a pan. Add cumin and allow to splutter. Add chopped green chili and sauté for a minute. Now add the mashed potato, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, amchur. salt, and asafoetida. Mix well and cook for a couple minutes until everything is blended.

3. Stir in chopped cilantro. Remove from stove and set aside.

Method to make Spicy Green Pani:

1. Place cilantro, mint, green chili, tamarind, and ginger in a blender jar. Add 1/8 cup water. Blend to a smooth paste. 

                                                               

2. Add the dry ingredients, cumin powder, amchur, peppercorn. chat masala, black salt, asafetida, salt, and sugar. Run the blender for a few seconds. 

                                                               

3. Take 4 Tablespoons of the paste in a medium bowl. Stir in 3 cups of cold water. Taste and add salt or spices if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Method for making Sweet Pani:

1. Mix 2 Tablespoons tamarind paste in a cup of water or soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for a few minutes. Extract the juice and throw away the tamarind. Add another 1/2 cup water.

2. Place jaggery in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and dissolve the jaggery. 

3. Stir in the tamarind extract to jaggery water. Add salt, chat masala, roasted cumin powder, powdered peppercorn, Kashmiri chili powder and 2 cups water. Taste and check for spices. Chill until serving.

                                                             

How to serve Pani Puri:

                                                   

1. Pop the top of the Puri to make a big hole, without breaking it.

2. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of potato. Top with 2-3 chickpeas.

3. Fill the Puri with spicy pani. Add a few boondi if using. Pop the Pani Puri in your mouth. Enjoy the explosion of flavor in your mouth. Repeat process  and fill with sweet pani. 

                                                     

Notes:

1. You can add chopped onion in the Puri along with potato.

2. You can serve Pani Puri on a bed of sev and papdi along with sweet yogurt. This is the famous SPDP (Sev Papdi Dahi Puri).

3. For parties, you can serve Pani Puri shots. Fill shot glass with the pani, top with one filled Puri.

4. Another cool way to serve in parties is Pani Puri fountain. 

5. Short cut to make the spicy pani:

Use mint chutney and spicy coriander chutney instead of fresh herbs. 

Take a tablespoon of each chutney in a bowl. Add the spice packet that comes with the fried puri container. Add chat masala

Add 3 cups of cold water. Mix well. Chill until serving.