Hollow crisp puris filled with tamarind water, mashed potato, sprouts and chutneys. The Mumbai chaat that gets eaten by the dozen. Editor's TableJourney pick.

Pani puri came to Mumbai via Marwari and Gujarati street vendors during the early 20th century. The Mumbai version uses sweet tamarind-date water and spicy mint-coriander water served from two separate jugs, with carts assembling each puri to order. Chowpatty and Juhu beaches remain the canonical street venues; sit-down rooms like Elco in Bandra serve the cleaner sit-down setup with bottled water for those wary of street ice.

Where to eat Pani puri in Mumbai

3 editor picks for Pani puri in Mumbai, ranked by editorial score. All Mumbai signature dishes · Pani puri across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 4 (40 puris)60 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 40 hollow puris (best bought, hard to make at home)
  • 3 boiled potatoes, mashed roughly
  • 100g chickpeas, boiled and salted
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine (optional)
  • 200g fresh mint
  • 100g fresh coriander
  • 4 green chillies
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • 1 teaspoon black salt
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 1 tablespoon jaggery
  • 1.5 litres cold water
  • 100ml tamarind chutney for filling

Method

  1. Blend mint, coriander, green chilli, ginger and 200ml water into a smooth paste.
  2. Pass through a fine strainer into a large jug.
  3. Stir in 1.5 litres cold water, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, black salt, tamarind paste and jaggery.
  4. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes; the pani must be ice cold.
  5. Combine mashed potato, chickpeas and chopped onion for the filling.
  6. To serve: poke a hole in the top of each puri, fill with potato mixture and a drop of tamarind chutney.
  7. Dunk into the cold mint water and eat in one bite immediately.

Editor tip. Drink the leftover pani at the end; it's the chaat-eater's reward and tradition. Eat each puri in one go; otherwise it goes soggy.

Common allergens: Gluten.