Pani Puri with Green Mint Water and Tamarind Chutney
Crisp hollow spheres filled with spiced potato-chickpea and drowned in two waters — the tangy-spicy green mint pani and the sweet-sour tamarind version.
Prep
45 min
Cook
30 min
Total
75 min
Serves
6
Ingredients
Puri shells (makes 40–50)
- 200g fine semolina (sooji/rava)
- 2 tbsp plain flour (maida)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Chilled sparkling water, enough to form a firm dough (approx 80–90ml)
- Neutral oil, for deep frying
Green mint pani
- Large bunch fresh mint (approx 50g leaves)
- 1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 3–4 green chillies, adjust to heat preference
- 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 2 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- Black salt (kala namak) to taste
- Regular salt to taste
- 1 litre chilled water
- Juice of 1 lime
Sweet tamarind water (meetha pani)
- 4 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 2 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- Pinch of black salt
- 500ml chilled water
Potato and chickpea filling
- 3 medium potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed (not smooth)
- 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- Black salt to taste
- Handful fresh coriander, chopped
Method
- 1
Make the puri dough: combine semolina, flour, and salt. Add sparkling water a little at a time and knead into a stiff, smooth dough. The sparkling water creates lightness. Rest covered for 20 minutes.
- 2
Divide the dough into small balls (marble-sized — about 10g each). Roll each ball into a thin circle, approximately 5–6cm diameter. Keep covered to prevent drying.
- 3
Heat oil to 180°C in a deep pan. Slide in a few puris at a time. They will sink, then float and puff up within 30 seconds. Flip and fry until golden and crisp all over, about 1–2 minutes total. Drain on paper towel. They must be completely crisp and hollow.
- 4
For the green pani: blend mint, coriander, and green chillies with a splash of water until completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Add tamarind concentrate, cumin, chaat masala, both salts, and lime juice. Add the chilled water and stir. Taste — it should be bright, spicy, tangy, and fragrant. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- 5
For the meetha pani: whisk tamarind concentrate with jaggery until dissolved. Add spices and chilled water. Taste and adjust sweet/sour balance.
- 6
For the filling: mix mashed potato with chickpeas, all spices, and coriander. Taste and adjust.
- 7
To serve: make a small hole in the top of each puri with your thumb. Fill with a teaspoon of potato-chickpea mixture. Dunk into whichever pani you prefer — or do what the pros do and use both.
The Puri Problem (and How to Solve It)
The most common failure in homemade pani puri is puris that don’t puff. Three things cause this:
1. The dough is too soft. A soft dough makes soft puris. You want a dough stiff enough that it takes effort to knead. Add water incrementally.
2. The oil isn’t hot enough. At the right temperature (180°C), the puri puffs almost immediately. Too cool and it absorbs oil and stays flat.
3. The rolled discs aren’t thin enough. Each disc should be translucent-thin, roughly 2mm. Thick puris won’t puff properly.
The Sparkling Water Trick
The carbonation in sparkling water creates tiny bubbles in the dough that expand dramatically in the hot oil — this is what gives you that hollow interior. Still water works, but the result is slightly denser. Soda water, club soda, or any fizzy water works.
Two Waters, One Philosophy
A proper pani puri stall offers at least two panies. The green mint water is the star — bright, herbaceous, fiery, with a sour edge from tamarind and lime. The meetha pani is the sweet contrast, thick with tamarind and jaggery. Many people mix the two in the same puri.
The kala namak (black salt) is not optional — it has a sulphurous, eggy note that is completely unique and essential to chaat flavour. Find it at any South Asian grocery.
Regional Variations
In Mumbai they call it pani puri. In Delhi it’s golgappa. In Kolkata it becomes puchka, where the pani is more acidic and the filling includes mashed yellow peas. All are valid. All are excellent.