Pani Puri

Pani puri is the most loved street snack in India: hollow, crisp puris cracked open with a thumb, filled with potato, chickpeas or moong, then dipped into spiced water and eaten in one bite. Mumbai calls it pani puri, Delhi golgappa, Kolkata puchka, and Odisha gupchup. This collection within snacks and noodles has every part, so you can serve it at home.

Ready puris are fried and packed, so they only need filling. Puri pellets are dried discs that you fry yourself; they puff in hot oil within seconds and taste freshest of all. For the water, choose a ready pani in mint or tamarind, or a pani puri masala to mix with cold water, lemon and fresh mint. Kits bring puris, masala and sweet chutney together, and aloo filling mixes save boiling and mashing potatoes.

Fry pellets a few at a time in oil at about 180°C, pressing gently with a slotted spoon so they puff evenly, then drain and cool before storing. Chill the pani well, because cold, sharp pani makes all the difference. Add tamarind and date chutney for sweetness, and use leftover puris for dahi puri. For other chaat snacks, see papdi, and for more fried pellets, fryums.