Pani Puri Extrusion Recipe and Production Process？
Pani puri is extremely popular in India.
The industrial production process for pani puri uses a cooking extruder and a kneading extruder, along with a strict drying process.
The extrusion and drying processes, along with the raw materials, all together determine the quality of pani puri.
Now, we will mainly introduce the core raw material.
The key ingredient that makes pani puri pellet puff up isn’t some special chemical additive, but rather a specific type of flour, and the moisture trapped within the pellet.
Below is a detailed scientific explanation and production process:
I.Core Ingredients
1) Sooji/Rava (Semolina):
This is the most critical ingredient.
Sooji is a coarse flour ground from durum wheat and is low in gluten.
The low gluten content means the dough won’t stretch as much.
Low gluten means the dough won’t stretch as much, and the ball shell won’t become tough and solid when fried.
2) Plain Flour (Maida) or Whole Wheat Flour (Atta):
Sooji/Rava usually mixes in a small amount of plain flour to increase the gluten content.
This helps the pani puri pellets resist breaking during extrusion.
However, plain flour won’t add too much, or the pani puri pellet won’t puff up.
II. Recipe for Reference
| Ingredients | Raito | Function |
| Semolina (core ingredient) | 60% – 80% | Provides low-gluten properties and ensures puffing. |
| Tapioca starch (key auxiliary ingredient) | 10% – 20% | Enhances puffing, resulting in a crispier, lighter, and more melt-in-the-mouth texture. |
| Potato starch | 5% – 15% | Assists puffing, adding a lightness to the product. |
| Water | 25-35% | Forms the dough.
The amount of water is crucial and must be precisely controlled. Cold water is typically used. |
| Edible vegetable oil | Appropriate amount | Increases the dough’s extensibility, facilitating mechanical rolling, preventing sticking, and slightly improving crispness. |
| Salt | Appropriate amount | Seasoning |
| Emulsifier | Appropriate amount | Process improvers, such as mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, are used to reduce dough surface tension and achieve a more even distribution of water molecules, thereby stabilizing the puffing process and reducing product defects. |
| Emulsifier | Appropriate amount | Citric acid, for example, is used to adjust the dough’s pH, enhance dough stability, and inhibit discoloration during frying. |
Note: The above ratios are examples only. The actual production formula is highly confidential, and each manufacturer will conduct extensive experiments to determine the optimal ratio. The type and ratio of starch are key to adjusting the final product texture (crispness and firmness).
III. The Science of the Puffing (“Steam Expansion”)
This process is similar to inflating a balloon:
I.Moisture Encapsulation:
During the production of pani puri pellets, a small ratio of moisture is trapped inside naturally.
II.High-Temperature Frying:
When the cold pani puri pellets are placed in hot oil, the outer shell is first heated and quickly hardens, forming a sealed shell.
III.Water Vaporization:
The moisture trapped inside the pellets is rapidly heated, turning into water vapor.
The volume of the gas expands dramatically (water expands 1,700 times when it turns to steam!).
IV.Pressure Expansion:
The immense steam pressure has nowhere to go and is forced to push the pellet shell outward.
V.Setting:
Almost simultaneously, the puri skin is quickly fried in high-temperature oil until crispy, forming the round, hollow balls we see.
Once the internal moisture has completely evaporated, the puri stops expanding and becomes light, crispy, and hollow.
| Link | |
| More information | Why Sooji/Rava is Important for Pani Puri? |
| More information | Pani Puri Extruder and Production Line |
