Disclaimer first – I am not from Bangalore. I’ve had this less than six times at a street stall in Bangalore.SO, this may not be the most ‘authentic’ street version. BUT, what it is – a delicious 40-minute meal! Yes, I call it a meal because it is nutritionally complete, gives you a lot of joy, and is so flavourful.
Like all chaat, this is also one where you can make the individual elements and just assemble them before serving making it ideal for meal prep. A masala puri has crispy fried pooris, a spiced peas gravy, topped with fresh onions, tomatoes, and coriander. It is usually topped with sev/crisps and chutneys if one prefers.
To make this Masala Puri Chaat at home, you will need crisp panipuri. These are available readily in stores these days or like me, you can just fry the dry ones before use. A tip – the dried ones microwave beautifully for just 30 seconds!
Street Style Masala Puri
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried green peas
- 1 potato optional
- 4 cups water
For Masala
- 2 tsp oil for making the onion-tomato masala
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 pieces clove
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 medium sized onion sliced
- 1 medium sized tomato sliced
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup mint leaves a handful
- 1/4 cup corainder leaves a handful
- 2-3 green chillies
- 1 tsp oil for frying spices
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
For topping
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup tomato, finely chopped
- carrots grated optional
- fine nylon sev or use a crushed puri
- coriander leaves
- green chutney
- date tamarind chutney
Instructions
- Soak dried green peas for 6-8 hours in plenty of water.
- Add the soaked and drained peas, one medium sized potato cut into chunks and about 4 cups of water to a vessel and place inside a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.It can also be cooked directly without an inner vessel.
- Instant Pot – Set on Pressure Cook mode for 10 minutes and let pressure release naturally.Pressure Cooker – Cook on a medium flame for 5-6 whistles.
- To a pan, add 2 tsp oil and once it heats up, add cinnamon, cumin, clove, ginger, garlic, chillies, onion and saute until the onions turn slightly brown. Then add tomatoes and cook until done.Instant Pot – Remove the peas and cook the above in Saute mode.
- To the cooled onion tomaot masala, add mint, corainder leaves and 2 tbsp of the cooked peas + potato mixture. This helps to slightly thicken the mixture and gives a nice flavour.
- Grind to a smooth paste adding about 1/2 cup of water.
- To a pan, add 1 tsp oil. On a low flame, add the coriander, turmeric and garam masala powders. Cook these spices on a low flame for 30 seconds and add the ground masala.Instant Pot – cook this on Saute mode.
- Cook the masala on a low flame for 5 minutes. Then, add the cooked peas + potato mixture. Mash well using the back of a ladle and cook for another 10 minutes on a low flame. Add salt to taste.Instant Pot – Add the masala, cooked peas, salt and close and cook in pressure cook mode, low pressure for 3 minutes. Release pressure immediately once cooking ends.
- Masala is done!
Assembling Masala Puri
- To a bowl, add crushed puris – about 7/8 of them, top with a generous portion of the masala, then add finely chopped onions and tomatoes, coriander leaves, a bit of green chutney and tamarind chutney and finally, add some sev or crushed puri,
- Serve immediately!
Notes
- Use a mix of dried white peas and dried green peas. It is ideally done with only dried green peas. That said, this recipe will also be delicious with other legumes.
- I usually skip the potato in this recipe when making for ourselves at home because I feel it doesn’t add any taste and is just for volume. To up the nutrition, I add more peas!
- For the puris, I prefer to buy the ready to fry ones and fry them at home! It is much easier than buying fried puris from the Indian store. Since the puri is always crushed and soaked, it makes no difference to the end product!
When made in the Instant Pot, this dish can be cooked end to end on it. Soak the peas overnight in the IP pot and cook in it directly. Then, empty the pot to saute the masala. Add the cooked peas, ground masala, and simmer again!
I was introduced to chaat very late in life, and Masala Puri Chaat even more so! Arun, my husband used to work in Bangalore and has eaten this regularly. So, I made it only on his insistence. Initially, based it on a few recipes on the web but over the years ( you get really good at something if you make it thrice a month for five years!), I have cut out a lot of spices, steps and made a version that is also more filling, nutritious and delicious. Although chaat is usually seen as a ‘snack’, this one is fit to be dinner. A bowl of Masala Puri with all the fixings is close to 500 calories, after all.
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2 Comments
vk
February 8, 2022 at 4:53 pmHi , can you please tell me where you got those dried pani puri to pop into microwave, I live is aus as well so was eager to know
BTW I have been following you silently and your posts are awesome
myflavourfactory
February 9, 2022 at 12:51 pmIf you are in Canberra, Kitchen King Grocers in Woden has. If in Sydney, I think Udaya must have. Look for it where papads are kept. Sorry, no idea on other AU cities. Thank you 🙂