Pani Puri is India's most iconic street food — and one of the most searched Indian recipes in the UK right now. The beauty of this recipe is that you don't need to make puris from scratch. Ready-made pani puri shells from brands like Jaimin, Vidhya, and Goal Sip give you that perfect crunch every time, so you can focus on making the two things that actually matter: the stuffing and the pani (spiced water).
At Pick N Save, we've been stocking these ingredients since 1999. We know which brands give you the crispiest puris, the best masala blends, and the freshest herbs. This recipe is how we make Pani Puri at home — and it's the same way our customers across London have been making it for over two decades.
In a blender, combine 1 large bunch of fresh mint leaves, 1 bunch of fresh coriander (stalks and all), 2–3 green chillies (adjust to your heat preference), 1 tablespoon of MDH Pani Puri Masala, juice of 2 lemons, ½ teaspoon of black salt, ½ teaspoon of roasted cumin powder, and 500ml of cold water. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, and chilli. Strain through a fine sieve for a silky texture, or leave it rustic — both work beautifully. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The colder the pani, the better the experience.
Boil 2 medium potatoes until tender (about 12–15 minutes). Once cool enough to handle, peel and mash roughly — you want small chunks, not a smooth paste. Drain and rinse 1 tin of KTC Boiled Chick Peas and add to the potatoes. Finely dice half a white onion and toss it in. Season with ½ teaspoon of Shan Chat Masala, a pinch of red chilli powder, and salt to taste. Mix everything together gently. Set aside.
If you're short on time, use a ready-made tamarind chutney like Rishta Tamarind Date Chutney or Sagar Tamarind and Date Sauce — both are excellent and available at Pick N Save. For homemade: soak 50g of tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes, strain, and mix with 2 tablespoons of jaggery (or brown sugar), a pinch of roasted cumin powder, and a pinch of red chilli powder. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thick.
Take one puri at a time and gently tap a hole in the top with your thumb. Fill with a teaspoon of the potato-chickpea stuffing. Add a small drizzle of tamarind chutney. Dunk the filled puri into the chilled mint pani water until it's about three-quarters full. Eat immediately — in one bite. That's the rule. One puri, one bite, one explosion of flavour.
Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:
*RI = Reference Intake. Values are approximate and may vary based on ingredients.
