Party pani puri

Name: Party pani puri
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Makes 30 pani puri
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed; s31 large potato (around 200g), peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes; Vegetable oil for drizzling; 1 heaped tsp chaat masala – we used Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients; ⅓ bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped; Seeds from 1 pomegranate; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 30 puri shells (see Know-how); For the tamarind and date chutney; s33 medjool dates, pitted and chopped; 3 tbsp tamarind paste; 3 tbsp jaggery or soft light brown sugar (see Know-how); ½ tsp ground coriander; 3.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated; For the pani (flavoured water); ⅔ bunch fresh coriander; 2 tbsp jaggery or soft light brown sugar (see Know-how); 3.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated; A few fresh mint sprigs, leaves picked and roughly chopped; 2 green chillies, trimmed, deseeded and roughly chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; You’ll also need…; Blender, food processor or mini food processor

Published: 5 Dec 19
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Pani means water in Hindi and puri shells are fried crackers made from chickpea flour. Pani puri is a popular Indian street food that sees these crisp shells filled with a spiced chickpea and potato mixture, tamarind chutney and a coriander dressing.

In Georgina Hayden‘s own words: ”Trays of crunchy, tangy little pani puri that guests can assemble themselves make the perfect nibble and ice breaker with drinks.”

Makes 30 pani puri
Hands-on time 40 min, oven time 20 min

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Ingredients

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large potato (around 200g), peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes
Vegetable oil for drizzling
1 heaped tsp chaat masala – we used Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients
⅓ bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
1 red onion, finely chopped
30 puri shells (see Know-how)

For the tamarind and date chutney

3 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp jaggery or soft light brown sugar (see Know-how)
½ tsp ground coriander
3.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

For the pani (flavoured water)

⅔ bunch fresh coriander
2 tbsp jaggery or soft light brown sugar (see Know-how)
3.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
A few fresh mint sprigs, leaves picked and roughly chopped
2 green chillies, trimmed, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin

You’ll also need…

Blender, food processor or mini food processor

Method

Heat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 6½. Put the chickpeas and potato cubes in a roasting tray, drizzle with oil, season, then scatter over the chaat masala. Toss together and roast for 20 minutes or until golden and a little crisp. Remove from the oven and cool (see Make Ahead). Toss the cooled mixture with coriander, pomegranate seeds and red onion.
For the chutney, put the dates in the blender/food processor with 100ml freshly boiled water to soak. After 5 minutes, add the tamarind paste, 3 tbsp jaggery/sugar, ground coriander and half the ginger. Whizz until smooth, adding more water as needed to form a thick dressing. Spoon into a bowl.
For the pani, put the coriander, 2 tbsp jaggery/sugar, ginger, mint, chillies, cumin and 150ml tepid water in the blender/processor (no need to clean). Whizz until blended and smooth. Add 100-200ml more tepid water to form a thin dressing (see Make Ahead).
Serve puri shells (see Know-how) with bowls of the chickpea mixture, tamarind chutney and coriander dressing and let guests fill their own.

Recipe from December 2019 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 67kcals
Fat: 1.9g (0.2g saturated)
Protein: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 10.4g (4.8g sugars)
Fibre: 1.3g
Salt: 0.1g

delicious. tips

Roast the chickpeas/potato and make the chutney and pani up to 1 day ahead. Keep covered separately in the fridge.
Pani means water in Hindi and puri shells are fried crackers made from chickpea flour. Find them at Asian supermarkets or redrickshaw.com. Alternatively, serve the pani in ramekins or on mini poppadums.

Jaggery, an unrefined sugar with a caramel flavour, is available from Asian grocers or souschef.co.uk.

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