Fire Panipuri

You must have heard and even tried fire shots or fire pan where the pan topping is lighted. On similar lines, there are few vendors who serve fire panipuri shots which provide a unique experience.  Not many may know that there is something known as edible camphor or Bhimseni Camphor which is used to enhance the taste and flavour of various sweets and desserts, especially in South India. It is also used in flavoring pickles in Karnataka, in curd based dishes in Gujarat and also in Paan.  It is not only used for flavouring a dish, but also known for its medicinal properties.

I am sure you will love this innovative and contemporary dish of Fire Panipuri. 

Servings: For 2 people

Approx. Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:
2 tbspns Oil
1 tspn Cumin seeds
1 cup chopped Onion
½ cup sprouted Moong beans (Green gram)
½ cup boiled black Chickpeas (with salt)
1 cup boiled Potato
½ tspn red Chilli powder
Salt to taste
½ cup chopped Coriander leaves
½ Lemon juice
 
For Fire Panipuri
Panipuri Puris
Stuffing (As given above)
Green Chutney
Dates – Tamarind – Jaggery Chutney (Sweet Chutney)
Nylon Sev
Curd
Pomegranate
 
Special Ingredient:
Bhimseni Camphor (Edible Camphor)
 

Pre-preparation:

·   Wash and soak black chickpeas in water overnight.  Discard the water and rinse the soaked chickpeas in fresh clean water.  Pressure cook it with fresh 1.5 cups of water & salt in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles on high flame for 30 mins on low flame. Let the pressure release naturally. Drain the water and use the black chickpeas in this recipe.

 

·    For sprouting of lentils, rinse and soak moong beans in water overnight (for 8-12 hours). Moong beans absorb water and become almost double in size. Drain the water using a strainer. Transfer the soaked moong beans in a clean & damp cotton cloth. Wrap it in the cloth and store it covered in a cool and dry place, away from sunlight.  After about 24 hours, the moong beans sprout. Please ensure that the cloth is moist throughout the soaking time by sprinkling water at regular intervals.

 ·    Make coarse powder of edible camphor

Method:

In a pan, heat the oil and add cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start sparkling, add chopped onion, boiled black gram, sprouted moong beans and sauté it for  three to four minutes. Do not overcook it. Add chopped boiled potato cubes and mix it.  Add red chilly powder, salt and chopped coriander leaves and mix it well. Turn off the flame. Finish it with lemon juice. Set it aside and let it cool.

Crack the puris in centre (just like a regular Pani Puri) and stuff it with a tablespoon of stuffing.  Follow this with green chutney, sweet chutney, sev, curd and pomegranate pearls.  Arrange it in serving dish. Sprinkle a pinch of edible camphor powder over the stuffed puri. Just before serving, light the camphor with the help of lighter.  Put a whole Fire Panipuri in mouth to feel the burst of flavours.

Notes:

1.   Just before making Panipuri, heat the puris in microwave for around 10 seconds on high temperature. The puris will be more crispy.

2.  A caution that only edible Bhimseni Camphor should be used and not any other synthetic camphor.

Stepwise Pictures:

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