Masala Puri

During college days, I remember relishing masala puri at one of the popular joints in jayanagar called saurabh's. He made the best masala puri I ever had. When I went to the US, something that I missed was having a good chaat. And then, I found this recipe on the net. I altered the recipe a bit to suit my own taste, and was very happy with the way it turned out..
The chutneys can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Though it is a bit time consuming, its totally worth it.

Ingredients:

1 pack small flat puris
1 cup dry peas
2 chopped red onions + 1 chopped onion for garnish
1 tsp powdered spices(2 cloves+2 elaichi+1 small cinnamon stick)
2 peeled and boiled potatoes
2 chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chat masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1-2 tbsp beaten curd
1-2 tbsp sev
1-2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1-2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

For the tamarind chutney:

tamarind paste
1/2 cup grated jaggery
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup pitted dates

Grind all the above to a smooth paste and set aside.

For the green chutney:

1 bunch coriander leaves
5-6 green chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dhania/coriander powder

Method:

Soak the dry peas in water for 6-8 hours. Add salt, turmeric and pressure cook until soft. Heat oil, add the spice powder and saute for few seconds. Add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes, boiled potatoes, boiled peas and saute. Add half of the tamarind chutney and green chutney, salt and boil for 5 minutes. Switch off the heat and add garam masala.

In a plate, crush puris, add the above masala, chopped onions, tamarind chutney, green chutney, curd, chaat masala, chilli powder and garam masala. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and sev.

Serves 5