Indian street food deserves to be on the world map just for the sheer variety and the amazing flavors. From Chaats to Momos to Indo-Chinese to Vada Pavs to 99 varieties of Dosa, we have everything! Of all the Indian street-food, I absolutely love Chaats and that statement would still be an understatement. Any chaat recipe will result in a burst of flavors when you savor it! Of everything, I love Jhalmuri, Pani Puri and Masala Puri Chaat the best.
Masala Puri Chaat is quite popular in Karnataka and I know for sure that other parts of India have something along the same lines. Although I got introduced to Masala Puri only after coming to Bangalore, I have tasted it in Chennai as well in the recent years. This chaat recipe is very simple and it can easily be made for a crowd, if needed. You only need a few elements to set this together –
This recipe for Masala Puri Chaat is all about nailing down the peas masala recipe. It is quite simple actually, with very little effort involves. The authentic texture of the masala is mainly due to use of dried yellow peas, but green peas can also be used. A range of masala and spice powders go into making it along with the usual onions and tomatoes. As is with any recipe, there are multiple variations and each version calls for different ingredients. This is how I make it, based on how I remember tasting it 🙂
For any chaat recipe, once the prep work is done it is very easy to assemble it together. To put this Masala Puri Chaat together, piping hot peas masala is poured over broken peas of crispy puri. And then the assortment of toppings are added – grated carrots, finely chopped onions, finely chopped coriander, lemon juice and finally the sev. It is best to eat this immediately after assembling when the puris are still crisp and the masala is very hot. To say that it tastes divine would be an understatement. Try for yourself 🙂
How to make Masala Puri Chaat | Masala Puri Recipe
📖 Recipe
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Masala Puri Chaat | Masala Puri Recipe
Soak the peas in enough water for 10hrs or overnight. Wash off the soaked peas and add them to the pressure cooker along with chopped potatoes and carrots.
Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles and let the pressure drop before opening it.
In a thick bottomed pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add garlic, ginger and roughly chopped onions.
As the onions are cooking, add cinnamon, clove, cardamom, cumin seeds. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Next add chopped tomatoes. When they are mushy, remove from heat and cool down completely.
Along with this, add rest of the masala items – green chilli, coriander leaves, mint leaves. Add 1 ladle of cooked peas and all the carrots from the cooker.
Grind into a smooth paste.
In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoon of oil and add this ground masala paste. Add some water to the mixer jar and add it to the pan too.
As the gravy begins to slowly boil, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, black salt, amchoor powder, chaat masala powder and salt as needed.
Cook this for 5 mins on low flame ensuring that it doesn’t burn at the bottom. Add garam masala powder and jaggery powder.
As it begins to boil, add the pressure-cooked peas and potatoes mixture. If required, mash the peas and potatoes.
Cook the gravy for 5-7 mins on low flame until it boils well. Remove from heat.
Get everything ready to assemble the puri.
To assemble the Masala Puri, crush the puris on the serving plate.
Pour hot peas masala on top covering the puris.
Add grated carrots, finely chopped onions, coriander leaves on top. Finally sprinkle sev on top. Prepare rest of the plates similarly.
Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
I made the puris at home following this recipe – mix ½ cup all purpose flour with 1 teaspoon hot oil and salt as needed. Sprinkle water little by little and knead into soft dough. Rest for 10 mins. Roll into small puris, prick them all over with a fork. Heat oil on medium flame and fry the puris until golden brown. These stay crisp for 3-4 days outside or for a week in fridge. You can also use store bought papdi puris or pani puris. Adjust spices as per preference.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
