Pani puri — also called golgappa or puchka depending on where in India you are standing — is built from three separate parts. The puris are small, hollow, deep-fried spheres, thin enough to crack under a thumb. The filling is spiced mashed potato with boiled chickpeas and chopped onion. The pani is the water: mint, coriander, green chilli, tamarind and black salt blended and chilled until it is sharp, herbal and slightly sour.
It is served as a kit so you assemble each one yourself: tap a hole in the top of a puri, spoon in the filling, dip it in the pani and eat the whole thing in a single bite before it collapses. That is the fun of it, and the reason it is shared standing around a table. Follow it with something more substantial like chilli paneer or a Junoon Thali.
Pani puri is served from our Chatori Gali chaat counter for dine-in at Cafe Junoon in Cornerstone, 110 Corner Meadows Manor NE. It also packs for takeout and for local delivery to nearby Northeast Calgary communities such as Skyview Ranch, Redstone, Cityscape, Saddle Ridge, Savanna, Martindale and Taradale, with the pani kept separate so the puris stay crisp. Cafe Junoon is 100% vegetarian, so a chaat spread suits any group — contact us about catering, browse the menu, or add chole bhature and paneer butter masala to the order.
