Crispy Puchka with Spiced Water
Hollow, crispy fried shells stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas, and tangy spiced water—the viral Indian street snack you can make at home in minutes. Crunchy, savory, addictive.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 320
- Protein
- 9g
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiled potatoes, diced small
- ½ cup canned chickpeas, drained and mashed
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste or lemon juice
- 1 tsp chaat masala or garam masala
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 12 shells store-bought pani puri shells or pre-fried gol gappas
- 2 cups neutral oil for frying (if making shells from scratch)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk tamarind paste, 1 cup water, cumin seeds, and chaat masala in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust spice; set the spiced water aside.
- 2
Stir diced potatoes and mashed chickpeas together in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper until combined.
- 3
Gently crack open the top of each pani puri shell with your thumb to create an opening, being careful not to shatter it.
- 4
Spoon a teaspoon of the potato-chickpea filling into each shell, packing it gently but not compressing too hard.
- 5
Dip the filled shell into the spiced water for 2–3 seconds, then pop it into your mouth whole. The shell should stay crispy.
- 6
Repeat with remaining shells and filling. Serve immediately while shells are crispy.
Tools you’ll need
- medium bowl
- small bowl
- whisk
- spoon
- your thumbs
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
