Pani Puri / Golgappa

How do I introduce this popular and loved street food? You cant go anywhere in the country without finding a stall... Here's my favorite homemade version. Freshly ground spiced minty water with a tasty filling. It's love at first bite.

Ingredients:

For the spicy mint water:

A bunch of mint leaves (2 handfuls of leaves)

3-4 sprigs of coriander

1-2 green chilies

1/2 inch root of ginger

1/2 inch stick of cinnamon

3-4 cloves

3-4 black pepper corns

Salt

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon roasted Cumin powder

Rock / Black Salt (sanchal or kala namak)

For the sweet water:

2 tablespoons packed tamarind

5-6 pieces dates

Salt

1/2 teaspoon dried ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon roasted Cumin powder

Powdered sugar or jaggery as needed

Filling:

3 boiled potatoes

1/4 cup soaked black gram (atleast 6 hours)

Salt

Chili powder

Roasted Cumin powder

Finely diced onion

Sev

Boondi 

Procedure:

Take the soaked black gram, add a teaspoon of salt and boil them. It needs 3-4 whistles in a pressure cooker and then low heat for 5 minutes. Let the steam cool naturally. Don't force open the cooker. Strain and keep aside.

Peel and mash the boiled potatoes and mix with the boiled black gram. Add salt, chili powder and cumin powder and mix. Adjust for salt and spices. 

Bring a cup of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the tamarind and continue to boil till it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped and deseeded dates, remove from heat and let the mixture cool. Mash the tamarind and date mixture once it cools and strain. Add 1 cup of water, ginger and cumin powders to the strained mixture and then salt and jaggery as per taste. It should be tangy and sweet. 

In a dry grinder, grind the cloves, cinnamon and black pepper to a fine powder. In a another blender add the green chilies, ginger, mint and coriander and blend to a fine puree. Add the lemon juice, the ground spices, salt, cumin powder and mix well. Add a cup of water to this mixture and then sieve. Adjust spices and salt as needed.  

To eat:

Make a hole in the puri. Fill 1/4 puri with the potato gram mixture. Then add onions, boondi and sev. Now fill to the top with spicy and sweet water and enjoy!!!