Crisp semolina puris filled with sprouts and chilled mint flavoured water make a

great snack for a hot summer afternoon. They are known as "golgappas" in northe
rn india and as "poochkas" in west bengal. When my favourite "panipuriwallah" is
serving me these delightful little puris one after the other, i just go on eati
ng till i can eat no more! sprouts can be replaced by hot ragda to complement th
e chilled mint water. Making the puris takes some time to master and although th
ey can be bought from a local store, the extra effort put in to make them at hom
e is well worth the trouble. Do remember to store the puris in an air-tight cont
ainer. You can always refresh them by baking them in a slow oven for 4 to 5 minu
tes.
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Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Makes 4 servings
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Ingredients
For The Puris
1/2 cup fine semolina (rava)
1/2 tbsp plain flour (maida)
3 tbsp soda water (bottled)
salt to taste
For The Pani
1 1/2 cups chopped mint leaves (phudina)
1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
1/3 cup tamarind (imli)
25 ginger (adrak)
4 to 5 green chillies
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
1 1/2 tsp black salt (sanchal)
salt to taste
Other Ingredients
1 recipe khajur imli ki chutney
1/2 cup mixed sprouts , boiled
1/2 cup boondi , soaked and drained
Method
For the puris
Combine the semolina, plain flour, soda water and salt to make a semi-stiff doug
h and knead well. Allow it to rest under a wet muslin cloth for 10 to 15 minutes
.
Divide the dough into 40 equal portions and roll each portion into 37 mm. (1") ci
rcles.
Place these circles under a damp cloth for about 5 minutes.
Deep fry in a kadhai in hot oil on a medium flame till they puff up and are gold
en brown (press each puri using a slotted spoon till they puff up in the oil).
Remove, drain on absorbent paper and store in an air-tight container.
For the pani
Soak the tamarind in cup of water for approximately 1 hour. Strain out all the p
ulp through a sieve.
Combine this pulp with the remaining ingredients except the black salt in a blen
der and grind to a fine paste using a little water.
Transfer the paste into a large bowl and combine with 1 litre of water, the blac
k salt and salt and mix well.
Chill for at least 2 to 3 hours after making so that all the flavours have blend
ed properly.
How to proceed
Crack a small hole in the centre of each puri.
Fill with a little sprouts or boondi, then top a little khajur imli ki chutney,
immerse it in the chilled pani and eat immediately.
Tips
You can use ragda instead of the sprouts or boondi.