Pani Puri Fiesta

Written by Ekta Patel

Fusion foods exploded all over Instagram with the likes of Cronuts, Pad Thai Pizza, Ramen Burgers and literally Chai Spiceeverything. Done right, the mix of differentingredients, flavours and textures cometogether to create something magical.Nairobi is currently undergoing its very ownfusion revolution with new restaurants andchef’s reinventing their menus. Some aresucceeding, some have work to do, but thereis no reason why home cooks should beleft behind.

Indian food is always at the extreme endsof the foodie spectrum. The usual choiceslie between Butter Chicken and Paneeranything. Mexican food is mostly a crowdpleaser but tacos and burritos are all youcan find on most Nairobi menus. Lookingfor more exciting options, I decided to hosta Mexican potluck with my foodie friends.Being the “chef” of the group, I needed acrowd-pleasing dish when I happened toglance over and see a bottle of tequila nextto the tub of leftover puri’s from the previousnight. I immediately started experimentingand even went down the route of pinto beansand avocado as the filling.

The task was daunting, so much did gowrong but after several experiments withratios and ingredients, and the satisfiedgrins of my guinea pigs (my family), the dishquickly spiralled into a crowd-pleaser atseveral different events I hosted.

The unexpected flavour profilescompliment each other beautifully. Thecrunchy puri, tart but crisp apple and juicypomegranate are elevated with the sournotes of the tajin (Mexican seasoning), thespicy red bullet chillies and the freshness ofthe mint.

This recipe makes 30 portions with a littletequila screwdriver left over for you tosip on.

Photography by Lucy Munene

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large tangerines (peeled & portioneinto small chunks)

• 5 Granny Smith apples (diced finely)

• 2 ripe pomegranates (de-seeded)

• 3 limes (cut into quarters)

• 900ml orange juice (no pulp)

• 1 bunch mint (cut into chiffonade ribbons)6/7 red bullet Chillies (cut into halves -can be substituted with Jalapenos)

• 100 ml smooth tequila of your choice

• Tajin seasoning (can be substituted witha mix of dried lime zest, salt & red chillipowder)1 pack of medium-sized

• 1 pack of pani puri (available at mostIndian grocery stores)

METHOD

The Pani:

Infuse the orange juice and tequila in adeep bowl with the red bullet chillies for aminimum of 10 minutes. Infuse the chilliesfor longer to intensify the flavour.Set aside to chill in the fridge.

Build Your Mexican Pani Puri:

Layout all the fruit, the pani, the mint, thelimes, the tajin & the puri in bowls.Set out shot glasses for the pani & platesso everybody can dig in and customise theirown versions of the pani puri.

YUMMY TIPS

You can pre-prep the puri’s beforehand and pass them out at your next lunch/ dinner party. Switch up the fruits to include green mango, apple mango, pears, dragon fruit, grapes & even watermelon.