Pani Puri, Puchka, Batasha – all of these are synonyms of Gol Gappe which is a popular street food all over India. Fried puffed crispy suji balls filled with spicy-flavored water, Gol Gappe is a welcome snack at any time of the day. If you love this snack, you can now make it easily at home.
Ingredients for Puri
- Sooji (Semolina) 1 cup
- Refined flour (Maida) 1/3rd cup
- Salt 1/2 teaspoon
- Cooking Oil As required
- Lukewarm water 1/2 cup
Ingredients for Pani and Filling
- Fresh Coriander (Cilantro), chopped 1 cup
- Fresh mint leaves (pudina) 4 – 6
- Green chilies 4
- Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
- Hing (Asafoetida) Pinch
- Salt To taste
- Black salt 1/4 teaspoon
- Amchur (Dried mango powder) 1/2 teaspoon
- Roasted cumin seeds powder 1/2 teaspoon
- Tamarind 1 inch square
- Potato, boiled and cut into small pieces 1
- Chickpeas, boiled and drained (optional) 2 tablespoons
Procedure
- Combine semolina, refined flour and salt in a bowl. Knead well to make firm but not too tight or too soft dough using lukewarm water.
Note: Dough should be slightly soft as compared to that of dough for normal puris.
- Apply ½ tablespoon oil on the dough and knead again so as to let it absorb the oil well and turn smooth. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes
- Soak the tamarind in ½ cup water in a bowl.
- Meanwhile put the coriander, mint, cumin seeds, salt, asafoetida, green chilies and dry mango powder in a grinder. Grind with a little water to make a fine paste.
- Pour 2 cups of water in a big bowl and add 1½ tablespoon of freshly prepared green paste in it.
- Now add ½ teaspoon of black salt, roasted ground cumin seeds, and salt as per taste.
- Mash the tamarind with hand in the water in which it had been soaked. A thick tamarind pulp will be ready. Pass it through a strainer then add this to the spiced green water.
- Place a deep frying pan on low-medium heat with enough oil in it for deep frying.
- After 20 to 25 minutes of rest the dough will be ready to make puris. Once again knead the dough for a minute and then make a big ball out of it.
- Divide the dough into 3 portions. Roll one portion into a big circle with the help of a rolling pin on a dusted rolling board or kitchen counter. Use a cookie cutter or any sharp edge cap of a bottle and cut small circles with it.
- Roll each circle again into thin oval or round shapes as per choice and keep aside, covered with damp cloth.
- Slide rolled puris in hot oil and fry them on low heat in batches. 4 or 6 puris can be fried in one go depending on the size of your frying pan.
- Press puris slightly with a slotted spoon while frying to make them puffed. Flip them from side to side to fry evenly.
- When fully puffed, transfer the puris to a dish lined with paper towel. Let them cool down completely.
Tip: You can make puris ahead and store in an air-tight container.
- When ready to serve, toss the potatoes and chickpeas together and then sprinkle roasted cumin seeds powder on them. Serve the puris, potato-chickpeas mixture along with the spiced water as puri filling.
Preparation Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 2
