Crunch on Indian avocado and salmon roe pani puri
Sometimes the messiest of meals can be the most enjoyable. This Indian street-food snack may indeed require bib and a handful of serviettes, but the resulting mouthful is a zesty reward of flavours and textures. The crispy spheres of pastry are traditionally filled with chickpeas or potato, but this recipe takes a modern twist with creamy avocado salsa, sour cream and salmon roe. Feel free to get as creative as you like, then throw the whole thing in your gob for a taste explosion.
INGREDIENTS
Spiced tamarind and mint sauce
250 ml water
1 tablespoon store-bought pani puri masala powder, or to taste
4 tablespoons store-bought tamarind sauce or chutney, or to taste
8 mint leaves, finely shredded
Avocado and salmon roe filling
1 ripe avocado, finely chopped
zest of 1/2 lime, finely grated
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2–1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
small handful of coriander leaves, chopped
salt, to taste
1/2 cup salmon roe
1/2 cup sour cream
Pani puri shells
20 pani puri shells (available from Indian grocery stores)
TO MAKE
First, make the spiced tamarind and mint sauce. Pour the water into a bowl and stir in the pani puri masala powder, tamarind sauce and mint. Adjust the balance of flavourings to taste, adding more tamarind for sweet sourness, or masala powder for spiciness. Pour into a small jug and set aside.
To make the filling, mix together the avocado, lime zest and juice, tossing gently but thoroughly to coat the avocado and stop it from discolouring. Add the tomato, onions, chilli and coriander. Add salt to taste.
Just before serving, crack a hole with your finger into the thinner surface of each pani puri shell (one side will always be thinner and more delicate). Add about 1 teaspoon of the filling to each cavity and top with about 1 teaspoon of salmon roe and a small dollop of sour cream. Once you have used up all the shells and filling, place the finished products on a large serving platter. Place the jug of tamarind sauce next to the pani puris to serve.
When eating, encourage your dining companions to pour about 3–4 teaspoons of the sauce into the hole of their pani puri and place in their mouth as a whole. Be warned, dainty bites can lead to spillage!
Recipe and images courtesy of Anjum’s Quick & Easy Indian by Anjum Anand. Photography by Lisa Linder. Published by Hardie Grant Books.
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