Enjoy pani puri eight different ways

Mumbai’s fave chaat has always enjoyed a special place in street food logs. The crispy round puri holds radga/sprouts, imli/date chutney, a green chutney and spicy flavoured water that packs in a punch and falls apart the moment you take a bite. And while purists may discourage you from trying this quintessential Mumbai street food staple in anything but its traditional avatar, there are others who are veering to the other side. Are youready to bite into a different take of your popular chaat?

Hot Cheese Fondue Batasha/Pani puri

According to chef Milan Gupta, Cafe Haqq Se if pani puri did have to go global, Cafe Haqq se’s version would possibly be the most apt avatar to go with. He adds, “It adheres to the basic tangy flavours of Indian streets while treading on the most acceptable flavours of cheese fondue combined with mushroom which acts as an adhesive combining two concepts beautifully while imparting it’s own earthiness. The fresh crunchiness of the green onions and Alfa Alfa sprouts adds a further dimension to complete this truly innovative recipe.” So what do you get? Panipuri shells filled with tangy chutneys: (red hot chilli and garlic, green mint and coriander chutneys) creamy melted cheese. Fondue-style made of trio of emmenthal, cheddar and a hint of parmesan and spicy mushroom duxelle. Once the fondue, mushroom and the chutneys are filled in the shell , it is topped with green onion and Alfa Alfa sprouts.
Cost:Rs 336
AT:  Cafe Haqq Se, Lower Parel

Inject tomato flavoured water in your puri

The puris are accompanied with moong, vatana, kala moti channa, beetroot sweet chutney and tomato flavoured pani.
COST: Rs 200
AT: Light House Cafe outlets in the city

Chicken/paneer in your puri

A regular pani puri comes with boondi, sprouts or ragda, 3 Wise Monkeys serves their take on the popular chaat dish with chicken or paneer for a filling.
Cost: Rs 240 for chicken or  Rs 220 for the paneer
At: 3 Wise Monkeys, Khar (W)

Pani  puri- flavoured tea

A Darjeeling Green Tea base is spiced with roasted jeera, black salt and sweet and sour notes heightened by the tang of tamarind.
COST:  Rs 190
AT: Brook Bond Taj Mahal Tea House, Bandra (W)

Pani Puri Sorbet

Who says, you can’t have pani puri for dessert. The people behind Papacream saw no reason not to and serve a  pani puri sorbet accompanied with puri cups and potato mousse. A savoury ice cream that gives you the complete chaat experience in the form of a frozen dessert.
Cost: Rs 160
AT: Papacream, Churchgate

Pani puri prepared in a lab

Well, that’s what we would call this version served at SpiceKlub. While the puris are served with the fillings, the pani is served in test tubes and the imli chutney is filled in syringes. More lab than restaurant.
COST: Rs 325, plus taxes
AT: SpiceKlub, opposite Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel

Birju bana scientist          

Chef Stephen Gomes, says, “Breaking the traditional norms of serving Pani Puri and Bhel Puri the Birju bana scientist at Chemistry 101 is served with Bhelpuri stirred in LnO2 from our lab, which gives our patrons a unique frozen chatpata flavour not experienced before served in a cancun martini glass. Birju further goes more distinctive in his lab to get the Paani Puri ka Paani served in a Jetchill Glass with dry ice giving you the bubbly and smoke effect. Ragda served hot on a stand followed by a dahi Wada ravioli.”
COST: Rs 275 
AT: Chemistry 101, Lower Parel

Pani puri shots

The good ol’ Pani Puri gets a quirky twist at Vedge. The Pani Puri is served in shot glasses with potato mash.
COST: Rs 115 
AT: Vedge, Andheri

Pani puri shots

Ingredients

15-20 puris
1 small bowl of tamarind chutney or tamarind date chutney
For the stuffing
2 to 3 medium potatoes
1 small to medium onion
1 to 1.5 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp chaat masala powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
Black salt as required

For the pani 

1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
3/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 inch ginger chopped
1 green chilli chopped (for a spicy pani, add about two to three green chillies)
1 tbsp seedless tamarind, tightly packed 
3 to 3.5 tbsp crumbled or powdered jaggery/sugar as required or 1.5 tbsp chopped seedless dates and 1.5 tbsp powdered jaggery (sweetness can be adjusted as per taste)
1 tsp roasted cumin powder 
1 tsp chaat masala powder
2 to 3 cups of water (add water as per the consistency you want)
1 to 1.5 tbsp boondi/fried tiny gram flour balls (optional)
Black salt as required

Method

For the stuffing

Boil the potatoes till they are cooked completely. Peel and chop them. Finely chop the onions. In a small bowl, mix the potatoes, onions, coriander leaves, cumin powder, chaat masala powder and black salt. Mix well and keep aside.

For the pani

In a blender  add all the ingredients mentioned above? Add little water and grind to a fine chutney. Remove the green chutney in a large bowl. Add two to three cups of water. Mix well. Check the seasoning. Add more black salt or jeera powder or chaat masala if required. Add the boondi to the pani. You can chill the pani in the fridge or add some ice cubes to it.

Assembling pani puri

Crack the top of the puri with a spoon. Add to to three tsp of the boiled potato-onion filling in the puri. Stir the green pani first and then add the sweet chutney as per your taste. Serve the pani puri immediately. You can also make individual portions with the puris, potato-onion mixture and the pani. Let the individual assemble the pani puri for himself/herself as per his/her taste. Or have it like a shot where you bite into the puri first and then down the shot of spicy pani.