This deep-fried Indian street food makes a great party snack – crisp rounds of bread filled with chickpeas and potato, drizzled with a herb and spice water
Prep:1 hr and 10 mins
Serves 4 – 6
For the puris150g chakki atta (chapatti flour)30g fine semolina1l vegetable oil, for puris and deep-frying
STEP 1Make the pani water. Place the coriander, mint, ginger, green chillies and tamarind pulp in a blender and blitz into a paste. Place in a water jug and add the chilled water and remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.STEP 2Begin making the puris. Combine the chakki atta, fine semolina, a little sea salt to season and 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large bowl. Mix well and then gradually add 80-85ml of luke-warm water to create a stiff dough. Cover with a clean damp tea towel and allow to rest for 30 mins.STEP 3For the filling, place the chickpeas and potatoes in separate large pans. Cover both with water and add 1/4 tsp asafoetida to the chickpea pan. Bring both to the boil. Cook the potatoes until softened and then drain. Once the chickpea pan is boiling, bring down to a simmer and cook for a further 10 mins. Drain both together and leave to cool.STEP 4Once the dough has rested, grease your fingers with oil and knead the dough for at least 5 mins. Return the dough to the bowl, cover again and rest for a further 30 mins.STEP 5Once rested, knead again with a little oil for a further 5 mins. You should now have a very smooth dough. Cover and allow to rest for a further 30 mins.STEP 6Once the chickpeas and potatoes have cooled, place them in a large bowl with the other filling ingredients, season and mix well.STEP 7Divide the dough into 3 and roll out 1/3 to 50p thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut disks 6cm in diameter. Cover the disks with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the other 2/3rds of the dough. Rest the disks for another 30 mins. Heat your oil to 180C (if you don’t have a thermometer, simply take a tiny piece of bread and if it turns golden brown in seconds, your oil is ready). Carefully place the puris into the oil and when they begin to rise up to the surface, gently hold a ladle down on top of them. This helps the puris to puff up. When the puris are golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.STEP 8To eat, take a crisp puri, create a small hole in the centre. Fill the puri with a little of the chickpea and potato filling. Then pour in the chilled pani and finally add a little sev and a few fresh pomegranate seeds. Eat the puri in one go.
