Indian Street Food Snacks.....delicious spinach pakoras, pani puri, bhel puri

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Street food snacks  are an exciting and  delicious part of travel in India or anywhere in Asia  from pakoras to pani puri, pau bahji and bhel puri a piquant tangy potato onion and puffed rice snack.

Recipes for spinach pakora, pani puri and bhel puri are below and I can assure you they are scrumptious incredibly morish and yes absolutely addictive.Spinach pakoras are one of many typical Indian snacks wrapped in newspaper and sold in the thousands of street vendors.

Spinach Pakoras

• 50g chickpea flour
• 1tps tumeric powder
• 1/4 tps chilli powder
• 1/2 tps salt                                                      
• pinch of bicarb soda
• vegetable oil for frying
• 100g small spinach leaves
• 2 tps chat masala - recipe to follow

Mix the chickpea flour with the tumeric, chilli powder, salt, bicarb soda and 2 tbs water to make a thick batter- it should be like pancake batter. If it is too thick add a bit more water, if too thin add a bit more flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok to 180 degrees Dip the spinach leaves in bundles in the batter and add to the hot oil. Fry for a few minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel Dust with chat masala.... and enjoy

Chat Masala

• 1 tps black peppercorns
• 1 tps cumin seeds
• 1/2 tps ajwain seeds
• 1 or 2 tps pomegranite seeds
• seeds from 3 green cardamon pods
• 1tps black salt
• 1 tps amchur powder
• 1 tps ground ginger
• 1/4 tps asafoetida
• 1 tps chilli powder

Grind whole spices into a fine powder then stir through the other ingredients Store in a sealed jar. These spices are available from good Indian markets

or food suppliers like The Fiji Markets at Newtown

This recipe is from Christine Manfield beautiful book on India called "Tasting India"........truly worth a look if only to be dazzled by the glorious photos.

Bhel Puri

• 20g puffed rice
• 10g sev
• 2 red shallots minced
• 6 thin slices of green mango cut into fine matchsticks
• 2tbs chopped coriander
• 2tbs diced tomato
• 3 tps lime juice
• 1/2 tps chat masala - previous blog
• 250g potatoes boiled and finely diced
• salt to taste
• chilli powder to taste

en.petitchef.com

Puris - use same recipe below as for pani puri
Tamarind sauce use the same recipe below
Coriander Minty sauce

• 50g coriander leaves
• 50 g mint leaves
• 2 small cloves garlic
• 2 small green chilies
• 2 red shallots
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 1 tps white sugar
• 1 tps salt

Blend all ingredients to a smooth pasteLeave in the fridge until needed

Use your fingers to mix the puffed rice, noodles, shallots,mango,fresh coriander leaves tomato lime juice and chat masala in a bowl

Mix in enough tamarind chutney and coriander mint sauce to season and misten the mixture. Lightly crush the fried puri's and combine them with the bhel mixture, adding a bit extra tamarind chutney and coriander mint sauce as needed Spoon into bowls to sauce.

Its amazing there are so many quite complex flavours in this and different textures its hard to beat.

Pani Puri

• 1tbs chopped mint
• 6 tbs thick plain yoghurt
• puri
• 1 cup semolina flour
• 2 cups  fine flour 
• Oil to deep fry 

Filling

• 2tbs vegetable oil
• 2tbs cooked masoor dal
• 100 g cooked potato peeled and diced
• 1 tbs cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 tps salt
• 1/2 tps chilli powder
• 2 tps chat masala

Combine the semolina flour and the wheat plain and add enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead for 5 minutes to soften the gluten. Roll out 2/3 rds of the dough into a long cylinder and cut off twenty, 3 cm pieces. Then roll each piece into a small ball. Roll out each ball into a round

Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.

Filling

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the dal, potatoes and chickpeas together for 2 minutes, tossing to combine Season with salt, chat masala and chilli powder.

Heat the oil in heavy pan and cook Puri's a few at a time pressing lightly with the spatula until they puff up.

Flip over and fry for another 30 seconds then drain on paper towels

To serve make a hole in the puri's and spoon in the filling then sprinkle with chopped mint. Arrange on plates, swirl the tamarind sauce and yoghurt on top and sprinkle with the chopped mint.

Tamarind Sauce

• 1 cup thick tamarind liquid
• 25g shaved palm sugar
• 2 tps roasted ground cumin
• 1/2 tps black sea salt

Bring tamarind water to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly reduced and thick.

Add the palm sugar and continue to cook over moderate heat for another 5 minutes

Add the spices and salt, taste and adjust if you want. Allow to cool before serving.

India Street vendor making Large Puri's

 Street food - roasted corn