Throughout India, pickles are enjoyed as a condiment with many meals, eaten with dal, rice dishes, parathas, or even many breakfast dishes such as pohé. Mango pickle is one of the most popular pickles throughout the country. There are many regional variations of it, each with its own unique blend of spices and flavors. But at its core it’s most often made from green, underripe mangoes, spices, and mustard seed– and spice-infused oil. 

My mother loved to make pickles this way, often with whatever fruits or vegetables she had on hand. They were a welcome burst of flavor to most of our meals, and my favorite was her mango pickle. On evenings when we had guests over to our home for dinner, the first thing she would do that morning was start macerating the pickles in plenty of salt and a spiced-infused oil, so they would be ready to serve later that night. She’d pickle whatever was on hand: carrots, cauliflower, peeled ginger, or my absolute favorite, mango. 

How Indian Pickles are Prepared 

In Western cooking, the term “pickling” most often refers to the food preservation method involving submerging food in an acidic solution, like vinegar, or via lactic acid fermentation. But most Indian pickles go through neither of these processes, and instead are preserved, or “pickled” by coating the mixture in salt and sugar and submerging in spiced oil.

Most homemade Indian pickles involve mixing vegetables or fruits (sometimes blanched or cooked first, but not always) with plenty of spices, salt, and oil. The pickle is then either packed into large ceramic pots known as bharani (or barni) and put in the sun for several days to ferment—the layer of oil on top inhibits mold growth while excluding oxygen—or it's allowed to macerate for a short period at room temperature and then transferred to the refrigerator for storage, which skips the fermentation in favor of speed and ease.. This recipe is the latter type—a quick refrigerated pickle that comes together in little time but is still bursting with flavor.

How to Make Quick Mango Pickle

This quick pickle is simple to make, but there are a few key things to get right so you end up with robust, zesty flavor and a crunchy, salad-like texture.

Selecting and Preparing the Mango

First, make sure to use green, unripe raw firm mangos that are not fully mature, not to be confused with underripe mangoes that will ripen soon (and have a thicker skin on them). As they sit in the salt and oil mixture, the mango pieces will soften slightly, but they'll still retain some of their firm texture. If you were to start with ripe mangos, the mango pieces would fall apart and become mushy. 

I personally prefer to leave the skin on my mangos when I make this pickle. I enjoy its chewy texture, and I find that it helps the mango flesh retain its shape even when cut into smaller sizes. That said, many people will prefer the pickle without the skin (and some may even have a mild allergic reaction to it), so the recipe below instructs you to peel the mango; note that when peeled, the mango should be cut into slightly larger pieces (the 1/2-inch size in my recipe below is a good ballpark) so they can better retain their shape even without the skin..

Tips on Preparing the Spiced Oil

One of the key components of the mango pickle is a spice-infused oil that adds flavor and a glistening, slippery texture. When I prepare the oil, I like to use an Indian seasoning wok, which is a small vessel specifically for this type of purpose. Many of you won't have this exact piece of cookware, but any small, flat-bottomed saucepan or carbon-steel skillet will work well.

The order of which spices are added to the hot oil also matters. The brown mustard seeds are added first. They will (and should) pop while cooking, so make sure to have a lid or cooking screen handy to contain the splatter.

The asafoetida, ground turmeric, Kashmiri red chile powder, and fenugreek seeds are then bloomed in the hot oil to round out its flavor. Asafoetida is a dried and ground gum resin that drips off the roots of an herb called ferula asafoetida, a central Asian plant in the celery family, and I love its assertive, oniony-garlic smell and flavor. (In the Indian state of Maharashtra, where my family is from, the combination of asafoetida, mustard, and turmeric is often considered the “holy trinity” of seasonings.) 

The oil mixture is then tossed with the mango and left at room temperature to macerate—just make sure the oil has cooled before adding it to the mango, or it risks heating the fruit and turning it mushy. During the maceration time, the flavors will blend together, and the salt and sugar will soften the mango.

This recipe works well with other fruits and vegetables as well. I like to prepare it with carrots, cauliflower, or apples, or under-ripe pears. I’ve included measurements for these variations below the main recipe.

In a large metal bowl, toss diced mangoes with salt and jaggery or sugar until combined; set aside.

In a seasoning wok (see notes) or small heavy-bottomed saucepan or small carbon-steel skillet, heat oil until smoking, about 3 minutes. Test oil temperature with one mustard seed. If it pops right away, your oil is ready; if not, return heat to medium-high for 1 additional minute and retest. When ready turn off heat and immediately add mustard seeds to the saucepan and cover with the lid/screen. The mustard seeds will pop, making a sound like popping corn, about 30 seconds.

Once the popping stops, uncover the pan and add the turmeric, red chile powder, asafetida, and fenugreek to the pan, stir gently to mix. Let the oil cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Scrape the cooled oil onto the mango and mix well. Taste the mango and add more salt or sugar if desired.

Let mango stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally until well macerated, at least 3 and up to 4 hours. Then transfer to an airtight glass container or jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Before serving, stir to combine and serve in a small bowl as a condiment.

Variations

Carrot Quick Pickle: Substitute mango with 2 1/2 pounds medium carrots, cut into 1/4 -inch pieces, and continue with recipe as written.

Cauliflower Quick Pickle: Substitute 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch florets and continue with recipe as written.

Pear or Apple Quick Pickle: Substitute 4 crisp apples or slightly underripe, firm pears; core and cut into 1/2-inch chunks, leaving the peel on. Continue with recipe as written.

Special Equipment

Metal or glass mixing bowl, large metal spoon (so turmeric does not stain it), Indian seasoning wok or a small sauté pan, canning jars or glass containers for storage

Notes

Make sure to use unripe mango that are not yet mature and will not mature, and not to be confused with underripe mangos, which are mature mangos that just have not peaked in ripeness yet.

If using jaggery, a couple seconds in the microwave will help soften it. Then you can chop it just like chocolate with a bread knife. Alternatively, a microplane works as well.

Asafetida can be found at most Indian grocers. I recommend the powder sold in small jars, rather than large plastic containers, because the plastic can hold the aroma. Keep it tightly shut between uses, otherwise the smell will pervade your entire kitchen. While it adds a distinct flavor to the chutney, you can omit it if unavailable, though the chutney will be less aromatic.

A seasoning wok is a small wok that is used in Indian cooking for toasting spices and for making seasoned oil blends. They generally are made from thicker metal than Chinese woks. I often use a seasoning wok at home to make spice blends for a variety of dishes, but a small sauté pan or skillet will work well in its place.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The pickle can be stored in airtight jars and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

In my Indian home state of Maharashtra, a favorite traditional savory breakfast is pohé: parched, flattened rice (which is also called poha in other parts of the country) paired with onions, a medley of spices, and vegetables such as potatoes, green peas, cauliflower, or tomatoes. While a breakfast mainstay, pohé is also often served at teatime, enjoyed with a hot cup of chaha (chai). It was my preferred Sunday breakfast as a child and now as an adult, an easy and satisfying meal I routinely cook at home on busy weekday mornings, or even for a simple light dinner.

I first learned how to cook pohé from my mom. Her version was bright yellow from a generous amount of turmeric and heavily spiced with cumin and mustard seeds,a combination of spices she used in many of the savory Indian dishes she made. But honestly, her version was never my favorite. The version I like best I learned from my father’s family, who come from the city of Pune.

It wasn’t until I was living in California that I learned how to cook their version during a visit from my father’s cousin Shirish Marathe and his wife Sushama; my recipe below is based on theirs. It’s faint yellow from a reserved amount of turmeric (less than my mom’s), with a subtle sweet-and-savory kick. In my opinion, it’s the absolute best way to prepare pohé.

How to Make Pohé

Pohé (the ingredient) is de-husked rice that’s been soaked in hot water, dried, and then pounded into flat flakes; at this point they are a preserved food with a long shelf life. Since it’s basically rice that’s been par-cooked and treated, it cooks much faster than raw rice does; it really only needs to be briefly rehydrated and heated through before eating.

The best way to do this is by soaking the grains in a small amount of cold water for just 15 minutes. Cold water works best, as soaking it in hot water runs the risk of overcooking the par-cooked grains. It’s also important to stir occasionally during this time to ensure the grains hydrate evenly.

To build the seasoning-base for this recipe, I use the same mustard seed, turmeric, and asafetida seasoning that my father's cousin’s wife Sushama used in her version. In the Indian state of Maharashtra, where my family is from, asafoetida-mustard-turmeric is often considered the “holy trinity” of seasonings.

Asafoetida is a gum resin that drips off the roots of an herb called ferula asafoetida, a Central Asian plant in the celery family. It is gathered and then ground into a powder. Nuggets of it used to be left in sacks of grain because bugs stayed away from its strong aroma. Cooks in India learned that its sulfurous, onion-garlic smell and flavor was a welcome addition in many dishes. My father didn't like asafoetida’s pungent aroma, so my mother never cooked with it when I was growing up. But as an adult I’ve grown to love its flavor and always use it when I make a mustard-seed seasoning, like I do here in this pohé recipe.

The spices are bloomed in hot oil—and I mean ripping hot, those mustard seeds should pop like popcorn on contact with the pan—before fresh green chiles, curry leaves, and onions are added. It’s important that the onions are cooked only briefly so they still retain a bit of their crunch, which creates a nice contrast to the tender rice in the dish. At this point, the vegetables—your choice of potatoes, green peas, cauliflower, or tomatoes—are added and steamed in the covered pot until just tender.

The soaked rice is then stirred in and everything is briefly cooked until just warmed through. Since the rice is already softened from soaking, you’re really just warming it through and coating it evenly in the spice mixture. Just before serving, I like to add a small amount of sugar and lime juice to balance the pungent and savory spice blend.The final dish should be salty, tart, faintly sweet, and pungent all at once, and you might need to adjust with more salt, lime juice, or sugar to find the right balance.

Beyond my listed serving suggestions of a sprinkle of cilantro, grated coconut, and a side of plain yogurt, I also recommend serving pohé with a variety of condiments such as cilantro chutney, tomato–curry leaf chutney, or quick mango pickle.

Every time I prepare pohé this way, I feel deeply connected to my aunt and my family, and am grateful to them for learning how to prepare this incredibly flavorful dish.

In a medium bowl, add pohé and cover with cold water. Gently swish with your hand, then drain through a fine-mesh strainer. Shake well to remove any lingering water, then return pohé to the empty bowl. Let sit, gently stirring pohé occasionally with a metal fork to separate grains and prevent clumping and being careful not to break grains, until grains are soft enough that, when a grain is pressed gently between thumb and forefinger, it breaks, about 15 minutes. If pohé is too dry, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over top and mix in gently, then rest pohé about 5 minutes longer before checking texture again. Once softened, gently stir in in 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

While pohé rests, in a 6-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until just smoking, about 1 minute. Keep a lid/screen handy. Reduce heat to low and test the oil with one mustard seed. If it pops right away, the oil is ready; if not, return heat to medium-high for 1 additional minute and retest. When ready, quickly add the remaining mustard seeds to the saucepan and cover with the lid/screen. The mustard seeds will pop, making a sound like popping corn until the popping stops, about 20 seconds. Immediately uncover pan, reduce heat to low, and quickly stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, asafetida, and green chiles to oil. Increase heat to medium and immediately add onion and curry leaves, if using, and cook until onion is softened, about 1 minute.

Stir in the vegetable of your choice and increase heat to medium–high. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (or potatoes: 10 to 12 minutes; for cauliflower: 7 to 8 minutes; for green peas and tomatoes: 2 to 3 minutes).

Gently stir in softened pohé, then cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until grains are heated through and everything is tinged in yellow, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season to taste with salt, lime juice, and/or sugar, if needed. . Transfer to serving bowls, sprinkling pohé with cilantro and coconut, if using. Serve with plain yogurt on the side, if desired.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, 6–quart saucepan with lid or splatter screen

Notes

Pohé can be purchased at South Asian grocers. Make sure to buy thick pohé (poha) so that when it is rehydrated, it does not disintegrate. Do not use hot water to rinse and rehydrate the pohé, as that will also make it fall apart.

Asafetida can be found at most Indian grocers. It’s also available to purchase online. I recommend the powder sold in small jars, rather than large plastic containers, because they absorb the aroma. You will smell an onion-garlic aroma from the asafoetida when you open the container. Keep it tightly shut between uses, otherwise the smell will pervade your entire kitchen. While it adds a distinctly assertive garlic-and-onion flavor to the pohé, you can omit it if unavailable, though the result will be less aromatic.

Do not use a nonstick pan or a plastic or wooden stirrer when making pohé. The nonstick pan is has a dark interior that makes it difficult to see the spices when cooking, increasing the risk of scorching them, while plastic or wooden spoons are more likely to break the pohé or make it clump up.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Pohé can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. To reheat, microwave pohé with 1 added tablespoon of water in a bowl, covered, until hot.

One of my favorite meals to eat is the comforting tomato-coconut soup that my grandmother used to cook for me whenever I visited her in Maharashtra at her home on India's west coast. In Maharashtra it's known as a type of saar, which means “a soup-like dish” in Marathi. But my grandma always referred to her tomato-coconut dish as "santosh," which in Sanskrit means “contentment.” I’ve always thought this name was well suited: The creamy coconut milk paired with sweet–tart tomatoes and ghee creates a velvety soup that makes me very content indeed. 

As a professional chef, I’ve cooked my grandmother’s tomato-coconut soup many times over the years. The first time was back in 2007 for my first catering gig at my ex-husband’s boss’s Christmas party, where I served it as the first course of the dinner. It was so well received that everyone clapped as we toasted my grandmother, who was 8,700 miles away in India. 

A few years after that, I put the soup on the menu of my first pop-up restaurant. One guest enjoyed it so much that a few months later, she called me to cater her family Christmas dinner and asked for my grandmother’s soup. I cooked her family’s Christmas dinner for years after, and every year they requested this tomato-coconut soup on the menu. 

Streamlining My Grandmother’s Tomato-Coconut Soup Recipe

Cooking the recipe the way my grandmother did—boiling, peeling, and seeding fresh tomatoes and making fresh coconut milk from scratch—was not practical for catering large scale parties in my California kitchen. So over the years I’ve made adjustments to her recipe, namely calling for canned tomatoes and coconut milk in place of fresh, to create this easy, one-pot recipe I’m sharing below. 

With these two changes, the soup is not only easier to make, but it can be made any time of year, even when fresh tomatoes aren’t in season. Having used many brands of canned tomatoes in this soup over the years, I believe that real Italian San Marzano tomatoes work best, thanks to their consistent sweetness and flavor (beware that not all canned tomatoes with the words "San Marzano" on the label are actually the true ones from Italy). Just remember to remove any basil leaves from the can before using the tomatoes. 

As for the type of coconut milk, I have experimented with full-fat and low-fat coconut creams and milks, and I find full-fat coconut milk has the best flavor and viscosity for this dish; coconut cream is too rich and low-fat milk is just too thin. 

Another difference between my grandmother’s version of the soup and mine is the type of onion used. My grandmother always used Indian onions, which are smaller and sweeter than American white, red, and yellow onions. The best replacement is shallots. They are about the same size and have comparable allium flavor to the onions my grandmother would use when making this soup in India.

Once the shallots are softened, chile powder is added with the blended-and-strained tomato mixture, followed by the coconut milk. When adding the coconut milk, be careful not to bring the soup to a boil. This eliminates any risk of the fat in the coconut milk separating and pools of coconut oil forming on the surface.

The final santosh doesn’t taste like a standard American tomato soup. It’s light and silky with a balanced flavor that’s enhanced with subtle heat from the ginger, shallots and chile powder. In Maharashtra, the soup is often eaten mixed into white rice or with bits of chapati or other griddle bread dipped into it, and in my opinion it’s sure to bring contentment in every bite.

Add tomatoes to a blender jar with their juices. Rinse out now-empty tomato can with 1 cup water, swish it around to collect more tomato flavor in the water, then add water to the blender. Blend tomatoes on high speed into a very smooth puree, about 1 minute.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour tomato puree through strainer. Add remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) water to now-empty blender and blend briefly to gather any remaining tomato liquid; pour that liquid through strainer. Using the back of a metal ladle, press tomato puree through strainer;scrape the puree  that collects on bottom of strainer into bowl. Set strained puree aside and discard any remaining pulp left in strainer.

In a 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat ghee or oil over medium heat until just shimmering. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add ginger and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

Stir in strained tomato puree, chile powder, and salt, then cook until it just comes to a boil, 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer, then vigorously shake can of coconut milk to combine fats and liquids before opening. While stirring constantly, slowly pour coconut milk into simmering soup. Raise heat to medium-high heat and return soup to a simmer. Once simmering, immediately remove from heat. Do not let soup boil, as this may cause fat in coconut milk to separate. Taste soup: Season to taste and, if too tart, add sugar to taste.

Serve in a bowl as-is or pour over hot white Basmati rice. Drizzle with melted ghee and sprinkle with cilantro (if using) before serving.

Special Equipment 

Blender, fine-mesh strainer, 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven

Make Ahead and Storage

The soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. To serve, warm it over low heat on the stovetop. Do not bring to a boil, as this might cause the soup to separate.

Arguably one of the Indian subcontinent’s most popular street foods is pani puri. In Delhi and other northern regions of India as well as in Pakistan, the dish goes by the name gol gappa while in the eastern state of West Bengal, it is called puchka, a name that sounds onomatopoeic to me, reflecting the squishy sound that a pani puri makes when you bite into it. It’s a satisfying snack that’s most often enjoyed at roadside vendors in South Asia, but I love to prepare pani puri at home for gatherings with friends and family. Endlessly customizable, the crisp bread puffs are filled with an assortment of savory, tangy, sweet, and crispy fillings, while flavored "waters" help create a dynamic and juicy bite.

Pani puri translates to water (pani) in fried bread (puri). The word "water" here may be misleading—they're really sauces with a thin, water-like viscosity that are infused with things like fresh herbs, spices, and fruity-tart ingredients like tamarind. The puri, meanwhile, are small, deep-fried shells of puffed bread that are hollowed out to make room for all the fillings. Those fillings often include a spiced potato mash, hearty cooked beans (mung beans or chickpeas), and an assortment of crunchy toppings.

It might at first seem daunting to prepare so many elements for just one dish, but I assure you that each component is fairly simple to prepare and just about everything can be made ahead for ease.

The Puri 

The flaky shells used in pani puri are a smaller version of a fried bread also known as puri. In pani puri, the crispy, deep-fried spheres are cracked open and stuffed with fillings before they’re dunked or doused into the prepared flavored waters. For this to happen, the individual-sized shells need to be sturdy enough to remain intact once filled and dipped, but still light, flaky, and crispy when bitten into. 

When I started developing this recipe, I tested making my own small puri that lived up to this tall order. But after rounds of dough kneading, rolling, cutting, and frying, I realized that even for me, a skilled Indian chef, it was too challenging to recreate this ideal puri texture in my home kitchen.

The solution is to stick with store-bought puri shells, which are excellent quality. The bite-size puffs are made from semolina and rice flour and can be found at most South Asian markets; they're often sold in egg carton-esque plastic containers or by the bag.

Make sure to purchase puris no more than two days before serving to ensure freshness (I even recommend asking about their freshness at the store). Inspect the package closely to check for shattered or squished puri—they’re fairly delicate and can break easily in transit. If you are able, sniff the puris before buying; they should smell lightly of freshly fried bread. An intense smell of oil indicates that they are most likely stale.

The Fillings

There are many filling options for pani puri. Here I’ve included two: a simple-to-prepare boiled and mashed potato filling spiced with dried Kashmiri chile, as well as boiled mung beans (green gram). Both are standard filling options for pani puri.

Soaking and cooking the mung beans is a simple but time-consuming process of boiling the beans and then seasoning them with salt, so if you’re in a rush, you can substitute with canned cooked chickpeas. Don't be concerned with the fact that the beans are only seasoned with salt: The filled pani puri have so many other big, bold flavors from the two flavored waters and spiced crispy condiments that keeping the beans simple is best.

The Pani

Most of pani puri’s flavor comes from the flavored water that each filled puri is doused with. The flavored waters should be intensely seasoned and pack a spicy, herbaceous, tangy punch. I like to serve pani puri with two styles of flavored water. One is a spicy mix of mint, cilantro, fresh green chiles, and cumin. The other flavored water is sweet and tart from jaggery (unrefined sugar made from the boiled and concentrated juice of sugarcane, date, and/or palm sap) and tamarind, with subtle heat from chile powder, and a distinctive tangy, sulphuric, savory aroma from chaat masala. 

Serving Suggestions for Pani Puri

When you eat pani puri at a roadside vendor, the puri is assembled for you: The vendor cracks open the top of the bread, stuffs it with a wee bit of every filling he stocks, then dunks the stuffed puri in the flavored waters before quickly handing it to you to eat immediately. Vendors won’t even make the next puri for you until you’ve finished the last one because they don’t want it to get soggy or fall apart on you.

To avoid soggy pani puri at home, I recommend serving all of the individual elements separately, and letting guests build their own. To build an individual pani puri, hold a puri at the seam between thumb and forefinger, keeping the bottom of it on the surface of the plate so it is steady. Using your other hand, break into the top of the puri, right in the middle and make a hole about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Use a teaspoon (or fingers) to put a little of the fillings and toppings into a puri. Then use a soup spoon to pour some of the spicy water and the sweet–tart water over the top. Don’t forget to serve with crunchy bundi (deep fried chickpea paste balls) and sev (deep fried spiced chickpea paste threads).

For the Sweet-Tart Spiced Water: In a large metal or glass bowl, cover tamarind with hot water. Soak for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.

Using your hands, press tamarind in the water to separate pulp. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour tamarind-water mixture through it, pushing and pressing on the pulp until all the water and pulp has passed through; discard seeds, skins, and fibres. Stir jaggery or brown sugar, salt, cumin, and red chile powder into tamarind water until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve, stirring occasionally to ensure all sugar and salt has fully dissolved.

For the Spicy Herb Water: In a blender jar, add 1 cup water, mint, cilantro, ginger, chiles, cumin, and salt and blend on high power until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add additional 1 cup water and blend for 30 seconds on high to ensure no lumps of ginger or chiles remain.

Set a clean fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, then strain blended puree through it, pressing on pulp to extract as much as possible; discard solids. Stir in chaat or pani puri masala. Season with salt to taste. The liquid should be spicy and minty. If it tastes too hot for your liking, stir in sugar; set aside until ready to serve.

For the Spiced Potatoes: In a medium saucepan, add potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough cold water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a vigorous simmer over medium heat and cook until potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, transfer to a bowl, and let cool for 10 minutes. Mash potatoes roughly or cut them into 1/4-inch chunks. Stir in salt, cumin, and red chile powder, if using, until well combined. Transfer spiced potatoes to a serving bowl.

For the Beans: If using mung beans, pick through to remove any hard bits of debris, then rinse beans well. Soak mung beans in 2 cups (480 ml) of warm water, covered and at room temperature, for at least 8 and up to 12 hours.

Drain and rinse mung beans well and cover again with 2 cups warm water. Set aside until beans have softened, about 4 hours. Check if mung beans have softened by pressing one bean between thumb and forefinger. If it breaks easily, it is ready to cook, if not, continue to soak for an additional hour and check again. Drain and rinse mung beans.

In a large saucepan, cover softened mung beans with 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cook mung beans, uncovered, until beans are fully softened and break apart very easily when pressed, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and transfer to a serving bowl. Season with salt.

If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse chickpeas before placing them in a mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, mash chickpeas roughly. Stir in salt; transfer to serving bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

To Serve: Transfer the prepared sweet-tart spiced water, spicy herb water, spiced potatoes, prepared mung beans or chickpeas, onion, cilantro, bundi, sev or bhujia, and puris to separate plates and vessels on a serving table. Include plates, 2 teaspoons and 1 soup spoon per guest.

To Prepare 1 Pani Puri: The puri (puffed shell) has a thinner and crispier side; holding it on a plate, punch a roughly 1-inch hole into this thin side with your index finger, allowing the shards of puri to fall into the ball. Stuff the puri with potato mash and/or bean filling, then spoon sweet-tart spiced water and/or spicy mint water over top. Sprinkle with onion, cilantro, bundi (if using), and sev or bhujia (if using). Enjoy.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, blender, medium saucepan, potato masher or fork, large saucepan (if preparing mungbeans)

Notes

This recipe can be easily doubled.

Make sure you have extra puris on hand in case a few are accidentally broken.

Bundi (deep fried chickpea paste balls) and sev (deep fried chickpea paste threads) are snacks that can be purchased at most South Asian grocery stores. They offer a crunchy counterpoint to the soft potato and mung bean fillings. 

Make Ahead and Storage

The green mung beans can be soaked up to 2 days before cooking. The cooked mung beans can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days before serving.

The potatoes can be boiled and refrigerated up to 1 day before serving. Mash and season just before serving.

The two spiced waters can be prepared and refrigerated in airtight containers up to 1 day before serving.

Make sure to purchase puris no more than 2 days before serving to ensure they are fresh.