By Akshara
June 11, 2026
This gluten-free rice paper pani puri recipe offers a brilliant, allergen-friendly alternative to the traditional street food favorite without sacrificing crunch. By cutting standard Vietnamese rice paper sheets into small rounds and dropping them into hot oil, they instantly puff up into crisp, hollow spheres that look and function exactly like classic puris. Stuffed with a spiced potato or chickpea filling and drenched in fiery mint-coriander water, it delivers the ultimate crunch in seconds.
4-5 sheets of regular Vietnamese rice paper  Oil for deep frying  For the filling: 2 boiled potatoes (mashed), 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, 1/2 tsp chaat masala, and salt  For the spiced water (pani): 1 cup fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup coriander, 1 green chilli, 1 tbsp tamarind pulp, 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, and 2 cups chilled water
Use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors or a circular cookie cutter to slice the dry rice paper sheets into small, uniform rounds roughly 2 inches in diameter.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat until it is completely hot, testing a small scrap of rice paper to ensure it puffs up instantly.
Drop 2 to 3 rice paper rounds into the hot oil at a time; watch them puff up into crisp, hollow white spheres within 2 seconds, then remove immediately with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Blend the mint, coriander, green chilli, tamarind, cumin powder, and salt with a splash of water into a smooth paste, then mix it thoroughly into the chilled water to create the pani.
Gently crack a small hole in the top of each puffed rice paper puri, stuff with a small spoonful of the potato-chickpea mixture, ladle in the cold spiced water, and consume immediately.