How to Eat Pani Puri

Reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: April 18, 2023 Approved

Pani puri is a highly, and yet aptly, celebrated Indian delicacy. Even toddlers in India know how to devour the "Queen of Indian Street Foods". But if you are visiting India and would like to try out this mouth-watering dish, you'll want to know how to eat it like a desi.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

When You are Assembling Yourself

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1
Know the food items involved in the dish:
- Puri: the round, hollow, crispy bite-sized balls
- Masala: filling of mashed or semi-mashed potato/chickpea, spiced
- Pani: choice of sweet chutney, sour, salted or spicy water
Take the puri in your non-dominant hand and poke a hole in it using your thumb or a spoon.

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Take some filling in a spoon or your dominant hand and put it inside the puri through the hole. You can adjust the spices and chillies of the masala, if required.
Either dip the stuffed puri in a bowl of pani or pour some pani inside it using a spoon or a ladle. You can use more than one type of pani. The common choice is to use the sweet chutney along with another kind of pani.
Take it all in one bite. Don't let it get soggy, or the ball will break down. Repeat the same with more puris.
Traditionally, a pani puri meal is ended with a sukha. To make a sukha, prepare the crispiest puri with a hole and stuff it with the masala. Now, instead of adding any pani, add more spices to it with a small squeeze of lime and garnish it with finely chopped cilantro and sprinkles of bhujiya (local snack item). Eat it immediately.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

When Someone Is Serving You

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The more popular way of eating pani puri is when someone serves you, especially the small stall owners by the streets.
(It's traditional). Remember, the prices are different in different places and bargaining does not always yield results.
You will be given a small bowl made of plastic or paper or dried leaves.
You might get a choice between potato and chickpeas. You can opt for both if the stall-owner is open to it.
Commonly, people ask to adjust the salt and the chili.
You can generally choose between a tamarind water or a mint water or a cumin-lime water.
8
Wait for your dish. After assembling everything, s/he will serve you in your bowl.
- Some stall-keepers offer you finely chopped or diced onions which you will be given in your bowl. You can add some onions to each puri before you eat it.
Support it with your middle finger and eat it in one bite.

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Tips

The puri generally has a soft side which is more brittle than its hard counterpart. Poke a hole through the soft side.

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Warnings

The water might be spicy.

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Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1
Do not break the entire puri while making a hole in it. If that happens, start afresh with a new puri.

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If the puri is very brittle, it can break when you hold it and spill all over your clothes.

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