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While making the tomato sauce, it’s important to blanch the tomatoes first and peel the skin off. Since we are talking about the Indian chaat, here are some of my other favorites -Indian Masala Corn, Vada Pav, Bombay Sandwich, Cheeselings Bhel, Moong Dal Pakoda, Ragda Patties, Misal Pav, and Pav Bhaji! This is my bestie’s recipe! During one of our conversations, she mentioned that she had made Mexican Pani puri for dinner that night. I was immediately interested to know more because I instantly loved this idea of serving vegan Mexican food in an Indian style! There was no way I was not making it! It sounded too interesting to not try. Given my love for both cuisines, making this snack surely made my heart smile! One of my favorite Asian snacks had just gotten a makeover and how! To make the beans in tomato sauce, you will need:
Tomatoes Garlic Kidney beans - Preferably use the small kidney beans or rajma. Cilantro Seasonings - Garam masala, paprika, salt, and sugar to help balance the flavors.
To make salsa, you will need:
Red onions Tomatoes Bell Peppers - Colorful peppers make it look appetizing, but you can use whatever you have handy. Garlic, Jalapeno, and Cilantro Spices and seasonings like tomato ketchup, salt, oregano, coconut aminos or soya sauce, sugar, crushed black pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
To prepare the beans in tomato sauce
That’s because the skin has a slightly bitter flavor and texture that we don’t want in the creamy sauce. Omit to add garlic in the recipe if you don’t like it. While small kidney beans are preferred for this recipe, you can also use regular sized kidney beans/rajma or even black beans here. If using canned beans, then you can add it directly to the sauce. In case you are using dry beans, soak them overnight and then pressure cook them in salt + turmeric water. Give it 4 whistles. The final consistency of this sauce is a personal choice. You like it thin, add some water along with the beans. You can make it into a thin salsa or blender salsa for this recipe if you want the pani puri effect. You can also make a small batch of the actual flavored water (pani) if you want. If you wish to then also add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the salsa for that extra zing. I prefer using coconut aminos over soya sauce because it is non-GMO and MSG-free. If you get ready puris from the grocery store, no need to cook it. They are ready to eat. As I mentioned before, you can prepare the beans and salsa in advance and store it in the fridge. But start assembling the Mexican Pani Puri only when you are ready to eat. Otherwise, they will get soggy if you make them in advance. Add some grated vegan cheese on top and microwave it for 10 seconds for the cheese to melt and you have cheesy Pani Puri!
Alternatives to puffed puri
BTW, you can also make Mexican Sev Puri using these ingredients. For that, you would need flat puris. Then layer the beans and salsa on top and enjoy. Other alternatives are, using Ritz crackers, bread slices, ramekins, or mini poppadums.
Some of my favorite Mexican recipes are:
Tandoori Cheese Quesadillas (Another Mexican-Indian fusion recipe) Black bean Taco Boats Enchilada Mini Casseroles Mexican Casserole with Gnocchi Mexican Rice
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