Make Anjula Devi’s Pan Puris

PREP: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes

COOK: 40 Minutes
plus 2 hrs resting

A CHALLENGE SERVES: 4 – 6

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

Ingredients

For the puris
150g chakki atta (chapatti flour)
30g fine semolina
1l vegetable oil, for puris and deep-frying
For the pani (water)
50g bunch coriander
25g bunch mint
5g fresh ginger
2 green chillies
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
500ml chilled water
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp red chilli flakes
¼ tsp asafoetida

For the filling
400g canned chickpeas
¼ tsp asafoetida
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
small bunch coriander including stalks, finely chopped
juice of ½ lemon

To serve
1 small packet of sev (spiced crunchy noodles – available from Indian shops and Amazon)
200g pomegranate seeds

Method
Make 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.

Begin 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.

For 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.

Once 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.

Once 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.

Once the chickpeas and potatoes have cooled, place them in a large bowl with the other filling ingredients, season and mix well.

Divide 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.

To 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.

For more authentic Indian recipes, Anjula Devi’s fantastic ‘how to’ recipe book comes with  top tips and a glossary of spices, it includes step-by-step instructions for Anjula’s masala base, as well as easy-to-follow recipes for chicken curry, chicken biriyani, stunning samosas and perfect pakoras plus lamb, prawn, vegetarian and vegan dishes, starters, rice, breads and chutneys.  Find out more and buy the book for £5.99 here. 

And if you’re looking for the right kit to help you make them, Lakeland have worked with Anjula to create the Authentic India range of products. From flavouring curries to fluffing chapatis, every one is designed specifically for the job in hand.