Pani puri, also known as gol gappe, is an Indian street food loved by all. I’m yet to come across an Asian who does not like Pani Puri. That said, I’m not sure how a non-asian might find it. It is very different to your usual hot snack – because it is a cold snack!

 

Pani refers to water. This specific water is made from mint and coriander. Several spices are added to it including fennel seeds.

Puri refers to a crispy fried wheat ball. This puri is stuffed with ingredients such as boiled potatoes, boiled moong, onions, or spicy mashed boiled chick peas.

 

Legend has it that Draupadi (a princess in the Indian Epic, Mahabharata, who married 5 brothers!!!) invented Pani Puri. When she was newly married to Arjun (her first husband) and went home with him, her mother in law, Kunti, instructed her to prepare a dish. Arjun and his 4 brothers were in exile, resources were scarce. Kunti provided Draupadi with some left over potato curry and enough wheat flour for one puri. She instructed her to prepare a meal that would satisfy all five brothers and hence she invented Pani Puri. Her mother in law was so impressed that she blessed Pani Puri with immortality.

Don’t even get me started. This story has a million holes in it. First of all, if she could only make one “puri”, then how did all 5 brothers eat it? And one puri cannot even satisfy me. How can it satisfy 5 big men?

 

Secondly, yes, I’m sure you’re still stuck on how did she marry 5 men??? Believe me, I cringe every time I come across this story. Funny thing is, no one even blinks an eye and thinks this is all ok. 

So for those of you who are interested in the story, here goes. For those who would rather skip to the recipe, keep scrolling.

 

Draupadi was the daughter of King Drupada. He wanted her to wed the best archer in the kingdom, hence, he organised a tournament and naturally, her first husband, Arjuna, being the best archer won the tournament and her hand in marriage.

Upon their return, Arjuna along with two of his brothers played a prank on his mum telling her that they had been blessed with substantial “alms”. His mum then tells him to share the alms amongst all five brothers. As these brothers had never disobeyed their mum (rolling my eyes), all five of them wed her. (I mean, what???)

Draupadi’s side of the story goes that she wanted a husband who was the best archer in the world, righteous, charming, strong, patient and determined. Since it was impossible to find one man with all these qualities, she was ok to marry all five. (Maybe this is how we solve our modern day dating problems?)

I hope I don’t offend the religious folks. Just giving my opinion on the matter. Free speech right?

 

Anyhoo, moving on to the recipe. Pani Puri is eaten all over India and in Pakistan. Its exact origins are not known. It is referred to different names in different parts of the country. The ingredients that are stuffed inside the puri also vary depending on where you eat it.

E.g. if you have Pani Puri in Mumbai, it is usually stuffed with a spicy chick pea gravy like mash and served with pani.

If you have Pani Puri in Gujarat, it is usually stuffed with boiled potatoes & boiled moong.

In other southern parts of India, it is usually stuffed with onions.

 

You know what I do? I mostly stuff it with potatoes, moong, onions and if I feel like going all out, chick pea gravy too. Because life is too short, right?

 

In this recipe, I stuff it with potatoes, moong and onions.

 

Pani puri is usually eaten as a snack. I usually have it for a main meal. Potatoes can be quite filling.

Note that the Pani has to ferment for several hours, so either you make it in the morning and leave it to ferment for 8 hours (have it for dinner). Or you make it the day before and leave it overnight in the fridge.

 

[button size=”large” style=”primary” text=”BUY FENNEL SEEDS NOW” link=”https://www.betterfoodmood.com/product/buy-fennel-seeds-online-uk-100g-superfoods-wholefoods-health-foods/” target=”_blank”]

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Puris ( You can buy these from any Indian shop – it will say pani puri on the label. Some have semolina in them, some don’t. You can use either)

 

Pani:

50g Coriander leaves

250gm Mint leaves

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp black pepper

1.5 tsp black salt (Sanchar)

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp jaggery

1 large green chilli

Water as required.

 

Stuffing:

1 potato

1 raw onion chopped

1/2 cup moong

 

[button size=”large” style=”primary” text=”BUY FENNEL SEEDS NOW” link=”https://www.betterfoodmood.com/product/buy-fennel-seeds-online-uk-100g-superfoods-wholefoods-health-foods/” target=”_blank”]

 

METHOD:

 

To prepare the pani:

 

Add all the ingredients except the jaggery to a blender and blend until very smooth.

Melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup water, add it to the pani above and mix.

Add more water. This mixture will be quite thick and it needs to have a watery consistency. I’m afraid this is the difficult part. If you have never tried pani before, it may be difficult for you to judge how much water to add. In total, I think I must have added about 4 cups, but I can’t be sure as I add as I go depending on how it tastes.

It shouldn’t be so thick that you struggle to drink it. But at the same time, it shouldn’t be so watery that the taste is diluted.

 

The Stuffing:

 

Boil the potato. Once ready, cut into cubes.

Add a bit of water and salt to the moong and boil them.

Chop raw onions finely.

 

To eat:

 

Stuff the puris with potato, moong and onions.

Serve the water separately.

Add the water into one stuffed puri at a time as you eat so that the puri does not become soggy. You want the puri to be crispy when eating it.

 

 

Fennel Recipes – Pani Puri – Indian Street Food – Mint Leaf Recipes – Vegan Recipes – Vegetarian Recipes

 

Pani puri has a very cool refreshing taste and is best eaten in summer. The mint & coriander are sure to provide you with healthy nutrients as they are greens. The black salt is sure to clear your digestive system. Expect some flatulence the following day. This Pani is thought to detoxify the digestive system according to my mum.

I hope you enjoy making this. Prepare a back up dish on the side incase you don’t like it 😀

You can visit my instagram page: @betterfoodmood to see how this is eaten.

Happy days! xxx

 

[button size=”large” style=”primary” text=”BUY FENNEL SEEDS NOW” link=”https://www.betterfoodmood.com/product/buy-fennel-seeds-online-uk-100g-superfoods-wholefoods-health-foods/” target=”_blank”]