Masala Puri | Bangalore Masala Puri Chaat

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Masala puri is an awesome street food snack made with layers of crunchy puri, creamy and spicy white peas gravy, rich spices and fresh veggies. Our easy Bangalore masala puri is great to make whenever you a craving a fun and flavorful chaat! Here you’ll find step-by-step instructions and photos to make this tasty snack at home.

masala puri served in a white bowl with a spoon and text layover.

About Masala Puri Chaat

Masala puri is a popular street food snack that originated in Bangalore, India. Typically masala puri is served in bowls with several layers of deliciousness.

It features crispy puri loaded with a spiced white peas gravy, then topped with fresh veggies, vibrant ground spices, sev (fried gram flour vermicelli) or crunchy pieces of pani puri, and cilantro. The result is a satisfying snack that has a great combination of textures and deep, slightly sour and tangy bold flavors.

This masala puri is inspired by a recipe from Aayis Recipes and also without the inclusion of sweet tamarind chutney. It’s also similar to Ragda Chaat as a layered street food snack, but has a completely different taste and flavor profile. (And be sure to try my Ragda Patties recipe, too!)

Note that to properly make Bangalore masala puri at home, you do need to have crispy Pani puri or Golgappa. These can be made at home or purchased from a sweet shop or online grocery stores.

Preparing these crispy puri at home is not difficult and can be made in a large batch a day or so ahead of time. That way you’re ready to go when you want to make masala puri.

Enjoy this tangy, spicy masala puri chaat snack right away as soon as you assemble and make it!

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Masala Puri

Pressure cooking white peas

1. Rinse and then soak 1 cup of dried white peas in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. These peas have a light creamish color or are creamish yellow.

You can even use dried green peas or fresh green peas instead of white peas. If using fresh green peas, then just pressure cook them for 2 to 3 whistles or boil/steam them in a pan until softened.

white peas in a black bowl

2. Drain all the water and add the soaked white peas to a stovetop pressure cooker. Also add ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder (about 2 to 3 pinches ground turmeric).

white peas in a pressure cooker with salt and turmeric

3. Then add 2 cups of water.

water added to pressure cooker

4. Pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes or for 10 to 12 whistle on medium heat. Once the pressure falls on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid and check if the white peas are cooked.

You should be able to mash them easily with a fork or spoon. If they are not fully cooked, then add ½ cup more water and pressure cook for 5 to 10 more minutes.

presser cooking white peas

5. The peas should be quite soft and mashable. They should not be al dente or undercooked from the center as this can give you digestion problems or stomach aches.

cooked green peas in the pressure cooker

Making Masala Paste

6. Once the dried white peas are cooked, it’s time to make the flavorful masala paste.

To a spice grinder jar add the following ingredients:

  • 1 to 2 mace strands
  • 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch of cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds
  • 1 tiny piece of nutmeg (or 2 pinches of nutmeg powder)
  • 2 marathi moggu (kapok or dried capers) – The marathi moggu is optional and can be skipped if you don’t have it.
various spices on a cloth

7. Now also add 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal to the grinder jar.

spices and chana dal added to grinder jar

8. Next add the following ingredients:

  • 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves (chopped)
  • ½ inch ginger (chopped)
  • ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 to 2 green chilies (chopped)
  • ¼ cup tightly packed fresh coconut
giner garlic coriander coconut added to grinder jar

9. Then add ¼ cup of the cooked white peas and ⅓ cup water.

cooked peas and water added

10. Grind to a smooth fine paste. Ensure that there are no chunks or tiny pieces of any ingredients in the masala paste. Set aside.

smooth paste in the jar

Making Peas Gravy

11. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add ⅓ cup chopped onions.

You can use any neutral-flavored oil.

onions in oil in a pan

12. Mix and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

sauteing onions

13. Then add ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and mix well. You can replace red chili powder with cayenne pepper or hot paprika.

red chilli powder added to onions

14. Now add the green masala paste.

green masala paste added to onions

15. Mix well and saute for a minute.

mix and sauteing the masala paste

16. Then add the remaining cooked white peas.

remaining cooked white peas added to pan

17. Add 1 cup of water.

water added to pan

18. Season with 2 teaspoons sugar or according to your preference. Also add salt as needed.

sugar and salt added to peas gravy

19. Mix very well and simmer on low to low-medium heat. Stir regularly so that peas or the gravy mixture does not stick at the bottom of the pan.

mix and simmering the peas gravy

20. Continue to simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or till you see some oil specks on the top. The masala should get cooked and its rawness should go away. Once done turn off the heat. Cover and set aside.

peas gravy getting cooked

21. Meanwhile, while the peas gravy is cooking, finely chop 1 medium-sized onion, 1 medium-sized tomato, 1 small lime or lemon and coriander leaves. Set aside.

chopped onions tomato lime and corinader leaves in 2 bowls

Assembling and making masala puri

22. On a plate, crush 4 to 5 Puri which we use for Pani puri.

crushed puri in a white serving plate

23. Pour on a generous amount of the peas gravy. If you like some sweetness, then you can add sweet Tamarind Chutney at this step.

peas gravy added to puri

24. Top with some finely chopped onions and tomatoes. You can also add grated carrot or beetroot if you like.

Another option is to add unripe green mangoes when in season.

tomatoes carrots added

25. Sprinkle on chaat masala, black salt or regular salt. Also, drizzle some lemon juice all over for some tanginess.

chaat masala black salt and lemon juice added to chaat

26. Sprinkle some sev on top. If you want the crunch of the pooris, then sprinkle crushed puris on top.

You can do this instead of adding the puris to the bottom of the bowl first, or add them to the bottom and top the masala puri chaat with more of the crushed puris.

sev sprinkled on top of chaat

27. Lastly, add some chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) on top.

coriander leaves added and assembled masala puri in a white bowl

28. Serve Bangalore style masala puri right away. It makes for a filling and healthy snack. You can enjoy as a brunch or as an evening snack.

Assemble and prepare this chaat snack when you want to eat it. Don’t assemble and prepare it earlier as the puri and sev will become soggy.

But you can make ahead the individual elements of this dish like cooked white peas, masala paste, the peas gravy and later assemble them to make the chaat.

masala puri served in a white bowl with a spoon


FAQs

How many servings does this masala puri recipe make?

This dish is rather filling, so as-is my recipe makes 4 large or 6 small servings. Feel free to cut the recipe in half or double the ingredients to make the right number of servings you need.

How should I serve homemade masala puri chaat snack?

Enjoy with crushed pieces of puri on top and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and sev. If you like you can also add sweet tamarind chutney to the dish.

Can Bangalore masala puri be made ahead of time?

It is not recommended that you prepare this full dish in advance. The crunchy puri will start to get soggy soon after it is made, so for the best taste, you should enjoy right away.

However, you can make and prep the ingredients – like the cooked peas, masala paste and peas curry – ahead of time. Keep separate until ready to assemble and serve the masala puri.

More Street Food Snacks!

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masala puri chaat served in a white bowl with a spoon in it.

Masala Puri | Bangalore Masala Puri Chaat

Masala puri is a delicious street food snack from bangalore. It is made with layers of crunchy puri, creamy and spicy dried white peas gravy, rich ground spices and fresh veggies.
4.98 from 42 votes
Prep Time 9 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 20 minutes
Cuisine Karnataka, South Indian
Course Snacks
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 4
Units

Ingredients

For cooking white peas

  • 250 grams dried white peas or dried green peas or 1 cup
  • 2 cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon turmeric powder or 2 to 3 pinches (ground turmeric)

For masala paste

  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 marathi moggu (kapok buds)- optional
  • 1 to 2 mace strands
  • 2 pinches nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal (roasted husked bengal gram)
  • 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves – chopped
  • ½ inch ginger – chopped
  • ½ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
  • 1 to 2 green chilies
  • ¼ cup fresh coconut – tightly packed
  • ¼ cup cooked white peas
  • cup water for grinding

For making peas gravy

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • cup chopped onions
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper or hot paprika
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar or as required
  • salt as required

For assembling masala puri

  • 16 to 20 pani puri or golgappa puris – crushed, as required
  • cup finely chopped onions
  • cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves
  • chaat masala – as required
  • lemon juice – as required
  • Tamarind Chutney – optional, as required
  • regular salt or black salt, as required

Instructions
 

Pressure cooking white peas

  • Rinse and then soak dried white peas in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. 
  • Drain all the water and add them in a stovetop pressure cooker. Also add salt and turmeric powder.
  • Then add water.
  • Pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes or for 10 to 12 whistle on medium heat. When the pressure falls down on its own, then only open the lid and check if the white peas are cooked. In case they are not cooked, then add ½ cup more water and pressure cook for some more minutes. The peas should be cooked well.
  • Once the white peas are cooked then proceed to the next step.

Making masala paste

  • Now in a grinder jar, add the whole spices mentioned under the list 'For masala paste' in the ingredients section above. 
  • Also add roasted chana dal, garlic cloves (chopped), ginger (chopped), chopped coriander leaves, green chilies (chopped) and fresh coconut.
  • Add cooked peas.
  • Add water and grind to a smooth and fine paste. There should not be any small chunks of any ingredient in the paste. Keep aside.

Making white peas gravy

  • Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions.
  • Mix and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Then add red chili powder and mix well.
  • Now add the green masala paste. Mix well and saute for a minute.
  • Then add the cooked white peas and add water.
  • Season with sugar as per your preference. Also add salt as per taste.
  • Mix very well and simmer on a low to low-medium heat. Stir at intervals so that the mixture does not stick to the pan.
  • Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or till you some oil specks on the top. The masala should get cooked and the rawness should go away. Once done switch off the heat. Cover and keep aside.
  • Meanwhile when the peas gravy is cooking, you can finely chop onion, tomato, small lime or lemon and coriander leaves. Keep aside.

Making masala puri chaat

  • On a plate, crush 4 to 5 puris which we use for pani puris.
  • Pour the peas gravy. If you like some sweetness, then you can add sweet tamarind chutney at this step.
  • Top with some finely chopped onions and tomatoes. You can also add grated carrot as this step.
  • Sprinkle chaat masala, black salt or regular salt. Also drizzle some lemon juice all over.
  • Sprinkle some sev on top. If you want the crunch of the pooris, then sprinkle crushed puris on top instead of placing puris in the plate.
  • Lastly add some chopped coriander leaves on top.
  • Serve bangalore style masala puri immediately. This way you can make various servings of masala puri and then serve them hot or warm.

Notes

  • Instead of white peas you can use dried green peas or fresh green peas. For dried green peas soak them overnight in water and later cook them as we have cooked the white peas in this recipe.
  • You can cook the soaked white peas in an Instant pot also. I would not recommend cooking them in a pan as they will take a very long time to cook. To cook in an Instant pot, pressure cook on high pressure with 3 cups of water for 30 minutes.
  • You can add grated or shredded veggies like carrots, beetroots,  finely chopped cucumber as toppings for the chaat. For tanginess you can add raw unripe mangoes when they are in season.
  • To add some sweetness to the chaat consider topping it with some tamarind chutney.
  • Make sure you assemble the chaat when you want to eat it. Don’t assemble and prepare the chaat in advance as then some ingredients will become soggy.
  • This recipe can be scaled to make a small or big batch.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Masala Puri | Bangalore Masala Puri Chaat
Amount Per Serving
Calories 403 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Sodium 1957mg85%
Potassium 903mg26%
Carbohydrates 67g22%
Fiber 23g96%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 462IU9%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 3mg15%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Vitamin E 2mg13%
Vitamin K 22µg21%
Calcium 89mg9%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 237µg59%
Iron 5mg28%
Magnesium 107mg27%
Phosphorus 318mg32%
Zinc 3mg20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Masala Puri recipe from the blog archives first published in October 2017 has been updated and republished on August 2021.

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36 Comments

  1. Traditionally toor dal is also used in the gravy. That makes it healthier. The chat shop near our house makes it still more healthier by adding palak and other green leafy veggies to get the green color in the masala. It is like a full filling meal.

  2. Hi. We tried this dish and it turned out delicious. The peas gravy was simply outstanding! Thanks for the superb recipe and for spreading the joy of cooking.5 stars

    1. Thanks a lot for the wonderful feedback on the recipe and the rating as well. Most welcome and happy cooking.

  3. Being a die hard fan of masala puri I’ve had many failed attempts trying to make this at home. But I just found the PERFECT recipe here on your site, and can’t thank you enough! It turned out so well and tasted amazing! Thanks again.5 stars

    1. thanks a lot sharanya for this awesome feedback. so glad to read. welcome and happy cooking.

  4. Thank you so much for this recipe..can I use the frozen green peas to make this masala Puri?

    1. yes, you can use frozen green peas. with green peas the taste will be different as frozen green peas taste different compared to dried yellow peas. welcome.

  5. Thankyou so much for such a beautiful recepie,It came out so well,that my family stopped having masala puri from outside,we prepare at home5 stars

    1. hi riya, thats nice to know and thanks for sharing this. homemade chaat items are always better and tasty. welcome.

    1. thanks for the feedback. comment form does work. it just that we manually approve the comments so it takes time for them to appear on the post.

  6. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup cooked peas and description calls for 1 cup to make gravy. Please clarify.

    1. thanks for letting me know. while grinding the masala, 1/4th cup cooked peas are added. i will update in the post too.

  7. I made this tonight and I must say, this is the best recipe on your site anc I’ve made a lot of them 🙂 Spot on flavors and textures. I did not need the lemon and did add a pinch of chili powder on top to spice it up for myself. Everyone including my 4 year old loved it.

    Thankfully, I’ve made a double batch and have plenty of Puris left so we’ll be eating this again on a cold weeknight.

    Thank you very much for meticulously researching and posting such authentic recipes.5 stars

    1. thank you krith. so glad to know that you loved the masala puri recipe. in fact its our favorite too.

  8. Hello I always try only ur recipe for new dishes everything results superb. Thanks a lot. If the app is removed by 21st October whether we could visit ur site?

    1. thanks sinduja. you can always visit our website – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/

      the app is a replica of the website in an app software. so all the recipes that are in the app are also on the website. moreover our website is always online and there is no charge or fee for checking any recipe. hope this helps.

  9. Yummmyyy my favorite thank u so much.. I was waiting for this recipe by u.. Now I beleive I got a Best recipe:*

  10. Lovely recipe.. And the step by step explanation with photographs are more than that a video can offer. Kudos to u to take so much time explaining n clicking every minute detail with tips n precautions so that we readers look forward to try ur recipe every time. I have tried many many recipes and everything comes just perfect only because of ur detailed explanation of your experience. And the best part is that you offer an app which is my first move whenever i want to cook something. Even the recipes i know i do make sure to check once in ur page so that they turn really perfect. Sorry for a long comment but couldn’t help writing this.. will definitely try this recipe and get back to you .. N I’m sure it will be yummy just like ur all other recipes ???? Keep spreading the joy of cooking n clicking

    1. Welcome Sri vidya. Thanks for this lovely feedback. We try to give maximum photos considering that a novice cook should also be able to cook. Unfortunately we will be removing the app by 21st Oct as we are not able to maintain it and bugs are coming often.

  11. Lovely recipe.. This reminds me of the yummy masala puri of Bangalore on rainy days. Thanks a ton for posting this. Ur app is always the first thing i open if i want to cook anything.Will definitely try it n get back to u. Im sure that it will be perfect just like ur other recipes.

    1. Welcome Sri vidya. Thanks for your trust. Yes do let me know how you found this masala puri recipe.