Pani Poori Recipe| How To Make Gol Gappa

Best wishes to everyone on the occasion of Holi, the festival of colours, which falls tomorrow! This Holi, how about treating your friends and family to a flavourful platter of Pani Poori?

 

What is Pani Poori?

Pani Poori refers to a popular Indian street food, made with slight variations in different parts of the country. Small, hollow, deep-fried crisp pooris are first filled with a stuffing made using potatoes and black chickpeas (chana). In my version, the pooris are then topped up with two different types of pani or flavoured water – a sweet one made using tamarind and jaggery, the other one spicy, made from fresh mint, coriander, lemon and green chillies. The result is a burst of flavours, an absolute treat to the tastebuds.

The husband and I are huge chaat fans, and Pani Poori is one of our all-time favourites. I can make a meal out of it, any day, any time, while the husband loves it as an evening snack. I often make it at home, making a little extra so it doubles up as evening snack cum dinner.

A bit about Holi

Holi is a Hindu festival signifying the end of winter and the arrival of spring. It also signifies the victory of good over evil, the start of a happy period after a lean one. In most parts of India, Holi is celebrated by the lighting of a bonfire, song and dance, preparing various delicacies, meeting one’s loved ones, and throwing colours or coloured water on each other.

Thandai, gujiya, kanji vada, laddoo, halwa, kheer, dahi vada, mathri, gulab jamun, jalebi, imarti and nimki are some examples of foods traditionally prepared on the occasion of Holi. Modern-day Holi parties see several finger foods being served, along with these traditional delicacies.

This year, Holi celebrations have been dimmed on account of the Corona virus threat. However, I would like to suggest making something special at home to celebrate the day, and not letting fear dim the festival’s sparkle.

Pani Poori for #HoliOnMyPlate

I’m part of this group called Foodie Monday Blog Hop, where the members showcase recipes based on a predetermined theme every Monday. The theme this week is #HoliOnMyPlate, and all of us are sharing exciting dishes for you to make for the occasion!


If I were throwing a Holi bash, this delectable Pani Poori is something I would definitely include in the menu. Let me tell you how to go about making them!

How to make Pani Poori

Ingredients (for about 100 pieces, serves roughly 4-5 people):

1. About 100 store-bought pooris

For the spicy green paani:

1. A big fistful of fresh mint leaves
2. A big fistful of fresh coriander
3. 4 green chillies or as per taste
4. Juice of 1 lemon or as needed
5. 3/4 teaspoon black salt
6. Pani poori masala or chaat masala to taste

For the sweet tamarind paani:

1. A big lemon-sized ball of tamarind
2. 6-8 tablespoons of jaggery powder or as per taste
3. 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

For the aloo stuffing:

1. 6 medium-sized potatoes
2. 1 cup black chana, soaked overnight
3. Salt to taste
4. 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
5. Pani poori masala or chaat masala to taste
6. 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

We will first make preparations for the aloo stuffing.

1. Wash the potatoes thoroughly, removing any traces of mud from them.
2. Cut each potato into half, and transfer to a wide vessel. Add in enough fresh water to cover the potatoes fully.
3. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 whistles or till the potatoes are well cooked. Let the pressure release naturally.
4. Drain out all the water from the soaked black chana. Transfer them to a wide vessel, and add about 1/2 cup water.
5. Place the vessel with the black chana in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 whistles or till the chana are well cooked. Let the pressure release naturally.

Next, we will do the prep for the sweet tamarind water.

1. Soak the tamarind in a little boiling water for 15-20 minutes, for it to soften.
2. Let the tamarind cool down fully.

In the meantime, we will prepare the spicy green paani.

1. Add the mint leaves to a large mixer jar.
2. Chop the green chillies and coriander roughly. Add to the mixer jar as well.
3. Add a little water to the mixer jar. Grind the mint, chillies and coriander together to a fine paste. Transfer this to a large bowl.
4. To the bowl, add black salt, pani poori masala or chaat masala, lemon juice and 2 cups of water or as needed. Mix well.
5. Your spicy green paani is ready. You can chill it in the refrigerator till you are ready to serve the pani poori, or keep it at room temperature.

Next, we will start cooking the sweet tamarind paani.

1. When the soaked tamarind has fully cooled down, extract all the juice from it. You may add a little more water, bit by bit, to help in the process of extraction. Roughly, you should get about 1 cup of tamarind extract.
2. Take the tamarind extract in a heavy-bottomed pan. Place on high flame.
3. Cook for 3-4 minutes or till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away. Stir intermittently.
4. Add in the jaggery powder. Mix well. Turn the flame down to medium.
5. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or till the mixture starts to thicken. Switch off gas at this stage.
6. Mix in the roasted cumin powder. Allow the mixture to cool down fully.

Now, we will start preparing the aloo stuffing.

1. Get the pressure-cooked potatoes out. Discard the water they were cooked in. Allow them to cool down fully.
2. Get the black chana out of the cooker. Allow them to cool down fully. Do not discard the water they were cooked in.

We will now add the final touches to the sweet tamarind paani.

1. When the potatoes are cool, remove their skins. Take the peeled, cooked potatoes in a large bowl. Mash them roughly.
2. Add the cooked black chana to the bowl, along with the water the chana was cooked in.
3. Add salt to taste, pani poori masala or chaat masala, roasted cumin powder and finely chopped coriander.
4. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl well together, using your hands. Your aloo stuffing is ready. Allow it to rest at room temperature till you are ready to serve the Pani Poori.

Lastly, we will add the finishing touches to the sweet tamarind paani.

1. When the sweet tamarind mixture we prepared earlier has fully cooled down, add in 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water to dilute it, or as needed. Mix well.
2. Your sweet tamarind paani is ready. Keep it chilling in the refrigerator or at room temperature till you are ready to serve the pani poori.

How to serve the pani poori:

You can choose to allow your guests to assemble their own pani pooris or make them yourself, handing them over to the guests one by one.


In case of the former,
Give your guests the pooris, some of the aloo stuffing, some spicy green paani and sweet tamarind paani separately. Ask them to make their own pani pooris.


In case of the latter,
To make the pani pooris, make a small hole in one of the pooris and place some of the aloo stuffing inside it. Spoon some of the spicy green paani and sweet tamarind paani into the poori too. Place the prepared poori fully in your mouth, bite, chew and enjoy the explosion of flavours in your mouth! Prepare all the pani pooris the same way.

Did you like the recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!