Back to learning and tasting street food! This week, I tried one of the famous street foods from my country Pani Puri. Which is loved by every generation. Back home, Pani Puri is easily found at street vendor stalls and it’s much cheaper than other street food. I enjoyed Pani Puri with my mother, and she loved it too.
In Canada, I tried Pani Puri at Indian restaurants, but I couldn’t find the authentic taste, and my experience was disappointing. That’s when I decided to make it at home.
Pani Puri.
Pani puri is my personal favorite street food. In English would be called “Water Balls”. However, in my country, it is known by different names like Golgappa, Pucka, and many more and it’s prepared in different ways. Basically, it was served with a spicy mashed potato mixture and tangy flavored water.
Puri (puffed bread) – Making a soft dough by using of whole wheat flour and semolina, than left to rest for at least 15 minutes. After that, it is rolled into a flatbread (similar to Indian chapatti) and cut the small circles with the use of cutter. These tiny circles are then deep-fried. Sadly, when I tried to make homemade Puri, they did not puff up well, so I using a readymade one.
Spicy potato mixture – First, roughly mash boiled potatoes and mix in powdered spices like cumin, red chili, chat masala, salt, and garam masala. Additionally, depending on your choice and taste, also added in boiled black chickpeas, chopped onions, green chilies and coriander to this mixture. Personally, I liked simple mixture.
Tangy flavored water- Water is the most important ingredient of this dish, and it can be made in different flavors like sweet, spicy, garlicky, etc. since I love spicy food, I made a spicy version, and try my best to make the perfect and tasty. I blended tamarind, mint, coriander, ginger, green chilies and jaggery into a paste, mixed it with chilled water, and added a small teaspoon of black and white salt (according to taste), and chat masala. Finally, garnished it with Boondi (India snack).
The most fun part of eating Pani Puri is its unique way of being enjoyed. First, make a small hole in the Puri and fill it with potato mixture inside in the puffed bread and then pour in the flavored water. Finally, eat it in one bite. You can enjoy a blast of different flavors in just one bite.
Hope so, you enjoyed my weekly learning experience!
Followed links:
https://youtu.be/clzzi4qn2oo?si=a5TIrU89qo9vlyeX
https://youtu.be/YS87jDYjldQ?si=866RXxAAmMEieQI1
My mouth is watering! Your descriptions of the food offer a clear image in my mind. I can almost smell the spices you listed. Is this a photo of your own cooking?
Thank you for your appreciation. Yes, this picture is of my own cooking.
Hello Babbandeep,
You’re doing a wonderful job! Your dedication and effort are truly inspiring, I like your heading and all the small details you gave. I will also try to make these water balls at my home to experience their taste. Good Luck!
Thank you Nancy for your appreciation.
Wow, Babbandeep – this is such a culturally rich (and mouthwatering) post! I enjoy reading the personal side of what these dishes mean to you and what they represent in your country. What do you think was missing from the dishes you sampled in Canada that would give Pani Puri that authentic flavour? Have you found that YouTube is the most helpful resource in your learning journey? I know I could eat this all in one bite! Yum!