Panipuri is usually accompanied by a chutney made with chili powder, cumin, and tamarind.
Panipuri is a small snack commonly found in India. It is made from a small hollow piece of fried unleavened bread known as puri, which is filled with mashed potatoes and other ingredients and then dipped or filled with thick, flavorful water and eaten immediately. The effect is that all the flavors of the panipuri are released in the mouth at once, providing a sweet, sour and salty taste at the same time. Panipuri are often served by street vendors, although they must be prepared quickly and given to the customer for immediate consumption, as the liquids inside the hollow puri can quickly disintegrate the bread. Another way to serve the snack is to allow the guests to assemble each one as they wish.
Panipuri is a popular snack sold in outdoor markets in India.
Small panipuri is made up of three, or sometimes four, different items that are usually prepared separately. The first is puri bread, which can be prepared in advance and stored in a container. The second is the pani, or flavored water, with which the puri is finally filled or dipped. The third part is the kneaded solid filling for the bread. Some recipes also call for a type of chutney that is spooned over the filling.
Puri is a type of Indian bread made from flour, water, and oil. It is kneaded and rolled into flat disks. In the case of panipuri, the disks should be small enough for the finished bread to fit into the mouth in one bite. The slices of dough are fried in oil, where they are ignited with steam, creating a delicate, hollow loaf of bread.
Pani is a type of infused water in which the ingredients help to thicken the water. A common type of pani is made from tamarind, mint, pepper, cumin, ginger, and coriander. All ingredients are ground together or placed in a blender and mixed with water. The mixture is chilled for some time, after which it is strained to keep the liquid thick without lumps.
The filling of panipuri can vary greatly from one area to another, although some combinations are more popular than others. Most of the fillings start with mashed boiled potatoes. Chopped onions, beans or kidney beans, and sometimes yogurt are added to the potatoes and blended until smooth.
Some preparations also call for a type of chutney. It is usually made from tamarind paste, chili powder, cumin, and brown sugar that have been mixed together. While not necessary, the hot sauce sometimes provides an additional sweet and sour flavor to the panipuri when the pani is not enough.
To make panipuri, the puri is placed on a plate and a hole is gently pierced in the top. The stuffing is placed inside, followed by the chutney on top. The pani can then be placed in the puri, or the filled puri can be immersed in a container containing water. It is traditional to put the whole bite in your mouth at once to appreciate the complexity of the dish and prevent the water from escaping.