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To begin, let's get the chickpeas and potatoes ready. If still not soaked, take 100 gms of chickpeas and soak them in water for about 8 hours or overnight. Drain them off well and rinse them. Place the soaked chickpeas in a pan and add fresh water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 30-40 minutes or until tender. You can also speed it up with a pressure cooker.
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Drain the chickpeas after they are cooked and set aside.
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For potatoes, peel them first and then cut them into large chunks.
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Take these chunks in a vessel and cover them with water. Let the water boil and further cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they get soft enough to be pierced easily with a fork.
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Then drain the potatoes, allowing them to cool a bit. After cooling down, peel the potatoes and mash until smooth.
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Take the boiled and mashed potatoes in a big mixing bowl, and add cooked chickpeas to it. Mix them well so that everything gets an even distribution of ingredients. Add salt, red chilli powder, and chaat masala to taste, considering your preference for spice and flavour. Mix it and keep the filling aside. This mixture will be used to fill the puris.
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Take the quantity mentioned above in a blender, along with fresh mint leaves, fresh coriander leaves, green chillies, and ginger.
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Add a little water, if needed, and blend the mixture to form a smooth paste to make the spicy water.
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Strain the mixture into a large bowl through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, discarding the solids.
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Add 3 cups of water, 1/4 cup of tamarind pulp, 1/2 tsp of roasted cumin powder, and salt to taste to the strained liquid.
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Mix everything well. The tamarind pulp gives the sour depth, and roasted cumin powder adds flavour. Allow the spicy water to cool, chilling in the refrigerator to allow flavours to meld.
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For sweet tamarind chutney, combine 1/2 cup of tamarind pulp and 1/4 cup of jaggery or brown sugar in a small saucepan.
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Add 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, adding salt to taste. Now cook it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chutney is thickened into a sort of syrupy state.
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This is best done in 10 to 15 minutes. Allow the chutney to thicken; remove it from heat and cool down. As it cools, it will thicken even more and create a nice contrast to the spicy water with its sweetness and sourness.
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To assemble the panipuri, make a small hole at the top of each puri. Handle with care; don't break the puris.
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You can use a small spoon or finger to create the hole carefully. This will be your entry point for the filling and the spicy water.
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Fill the potato-chickpea mixture in each puri through the hole.
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Fill the puris with it, but be careful not to fill too much since you also have to pour chutney and spicy water in them.
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Put a bit sweet tamarind chutney over the filling. Sweetness in the chutney is rich and balances the spiciness of water. Finally, pour the chilled spicy water into each puri to soak into the filling. The puris should not be pre-filled with the filling; they will not stay crispy and crunchy otherwise. If you enjoyed this recipe of Pani Puri, don't forget to share it with your friends and families.
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If you liked this recipe of Pani Puri, don't forget to share it with your friends and family.