Pani Puri / Gol Gappe - Indian Cooking Challenge for May ~ Step By Step Recipe!

I know for many Panipuri kindles too many gourmet dreams to confine within. And I simply love all chats, you give me anytime I am all set ready for it. Except for Pani Puri! After tasting my first one, I never turned to it. Seriously, I ran a mile if I had to eat this. On the other hand, hubby dear eats only this and nothing else. Of course as I have said Dad never app roved us on eating on the road side shops, but where else you get the finest of chats you ask? Well next best is to make at home is the pat response.

When I was introduced to these chats many many years ago, I devoured all but this Pani Puri, simply because I couldn't gulp the entire one in one shot nor could I eat so much spice as a whole. So when we go for chats, I eat Bhel Puri, Dahi Puri or even Masala Puri, while Hubby eagerly stands next to the Chat wala gulping down the numerous puris before the next one can be made.

Then something happened! We have a Gangotri, the Gujarati specialty shop close by and on couple of occasions we ordered it. Since it was delivered, everything was kept separately and we had to make it ourselves. One day giving into the temptation, I had one and there after stopped counting! What followed was endless revelry with Pani Puri. We always had the recipe for making these, though I have almost made most of the chats at home, I never attempted at making Pani Puri from scratch. 

That is exactly why Indian Cooking Challenge comes in place. This event is to make us attempt at dishes we may never try. So I decided this was surely on list. When I expressed my choice, I had instant approval from all my ICC members. I was really very late in choosing the recipe, but it was fine as I selected one from my cuttings. Still I was apprehensive in attempting it. 

As always Saturday was the chosen day, I even met my neighbour Aunty and told her that I will be making by evening. She had recently made it couple of times, but I was not at home. So I borrowed her Roti maker to make half of them. Rest of the dough we rolled it out. Yes I had Amma, Athamma along with it. Towards the end, even Konda helped in pinching out the balls. 

It was a wonderful experience having everybody at home pinching in to make these awesome puris to go with the filling and pani. I adapted the recipe while I was making it. Though making lot of changes to the given recipe is not allowed, I take the liberty as this was not previously tried and tested.

I almost made changes to all the process involved, including the Aloo stuffing. I was happy recreating the taste I remember eating at Gangotri.

Let me take you through the process step by step!

To make the pani, get the mint, coriander, chili and tamarind pulp ready. Puree it together for the pani. Refrigerate till served.

Both Mint water and Tamarind sweet water ready for serving!

To make the Puris

Prepare the dough the semolina, cover with a muslin cloth for nearly 1 hour.

Either roll our as a big circle, press down with a sharp lid to get same sized circles

Like this,

else press down using a roti maker like this..

Heat a pan with oil, quickly drop in the rolled puris, and cook them till golden colour. Trick here is to get the oil hot and them drop in the puris.

Once all done, ensure you spread it for cooling, else the puris will become soft. Only after it is completely cooled should you store them in a container.

Then serve with the pani!

Pani Puri / Gol Gappe ~ Famous Indian Chat

For making Gol Gappe

Sooji (Semolina) 1 cup
Maida (Plain Refined Flour) 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil for Frying

The recipe called for adding Cooking Soda, I didn't and still it perfectly puffed up.

For Spicy Pani or Spicy Water / Mint Water

Mint Leaves 1  cups
Coriander Leaves handful .
Tamarind pulp 3 tsp1/3 cup
Green Chillies 2
Roasted Cumin powder 1 tsp.
Salt to taste

Ok, I didn't have Kala Namak / Black Salt but you need to add 1 - 2 tsp. Trust me still the pani was yummy!

Potato Filling

Boiled Potato, grated to form a fine paste, sauteed in 1 tsp Oil along with Roasted Cumin powder, Red chili powder, salt.

This was awesome!

Another filling I gave was the Lentil Filling

Cooked Channa or Peas - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Chili powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder
Garam masala powder 1/4 tsp

Cook the channa or peas till tender. Then drain and cook with the masala till aroma comes out.

For Red Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind 1 cup
Jaggery 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Dry Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp
Warm water 2 cups
Salt to taste

Again I missed Kala Namak, but by all means do add it if you have!

Method to prepare:

For Gol Gappe or Puri:

In a bowl take semolina, plain flour, salt and knead well to make a stiff dough, leave it bit stiffer than normal. Actually since Rava was so much, the moment I add drops of water, it formed a stiff dough. I left at to rest for nearly 45 mins.

Cover it with a wet muslin cloth and let it rest till you get other things ready. Actually if it rests for more it tends to roll out best.

Then pinch out very small balls and roll them into small circles.

Remember you will be eating these as whole, so make small circles

Put the rolled out circles back under the muslin cloth while you are rolling the rest and before they can be fried.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, deep fry the puris

The idea is to puff them and fry them till golden brown.

Take them out and put them on kitchen paper towel, to get rid of the extra oil.

Notes: Allow the puris to cool before storing them in an airtight container. Else they will become soggy.

I also made using the Roti maker, place 3 - 4 pinched balls and press to get an even rolled out puris. Fry them immediately.

For making spicy water or Pani

Extract pulp from the tamarind

Add mint leaves, coriander, chillies and dry roasted cumin seed to the tamarind pulp. Add little water and blend to a smooth paste.

Add salt and black rock salt to taste.

Put it in the fridge to cool down.

Add water as required. It is normally recommended to add Ginger, but ginger and I are not friends!

How to make Red Tamarind Chutney

Extract the pulp from tamarind.

Recipe asks you to pound the roasted cumin seeds along with garlic cloves. But I am not for such process. I always have roasted cumin powder on hand, so used that instead. And cloves, well!

To the tamarind pulp add jaggery, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and salt.

You are supposed to cook this over low flame and store once it cools. But I used it as raw.

Assembling the Pani Puri / Gol Gappa

Poke a small hole in the center of the Gole Gappa/ Puri

Add a tsp of mashed boiled potato / Channa in the middle of the puri. Add a little of the red tamarind Chutney. Dip it in the spicy water / pour some spicy water in it

Gulp it down.

Notes: Alternatively you can mix small quantity of Tamarind Chutney, Spicy water and pour this on stuffed puris and gulp down too. Which is how I normally get my Pani Puri down.!

Verdict:

Konda was elated on tasting these Pani Puris. She said it was the best she has eaten till now. Yes all of us liked it a lot. This surely is a keeper recipe.

To all my ICC members, please link your Pani Puri post to Mr. Linky.