Pani Puri(Gol Gappa)

Pani Puri or Gol Gappa is an Indian street food which is loved by all age groups across the country. Gol Gappa has the same place in the Indian Food as Hot dog is in American, Tacos is in Mexican and Pizza is in Italian food.  In other words one can’t think of Gol Gappa or other chaats not being a part of  the spread during any wedding or such social function.
Gol Gappa has a myriad of flavors and textures – sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, soft and crispy, which epitomize Indian food.
Here I am writing about a tongue tickling crowd pleaser snack. It is known by different names in the different regions of the country. It is called Gol Gappa in North India, Pani Puri in West & South India and Puchka in East India. This street food sensation adds a flavorful punch to the palate.  

Ingredients for Puri or Gol Gappa:
1cup white flour, ½ cup semolina, ½ cup wheat flour, 1 tsp salt, pinch of baking soda, water for making stiff dough, oil for deep frying, round cookie cutter.

Method:

Mix all the flours, baking soda and salt in a big pan. Add room temperature water little by little to knead stiff dough. Cover it with a damp muslin cloth and keep it aside for 20 minutes.

Now make small equal sized balls of the dough. Do remember to keep them covered with damp muslin cloth.

With the help of rolling pin, roll out thin chapattis. Cut out small rounds with the help of a round cookie cutter or lid of any container. Make sure that these round small chapattis or puris are also covered with damp cloth

Heat oil in a pan. Please make sure that the oil is hot before frying otherwise the puris will soak in excess oil and will not puff. Put a small testing puri. If it comes up fast then the oil is enough hot.
Put 2 or 3 puris in the oil and fry them with the help of a slotted spoon.

While frying, pressing them gently in the center will allow them to puff up. Our aim is to puff up every puri.   Now flip them over and let them cook. Take them out on a paper towel when they are light brown and crisp. Don't let them get dark in color. 

Let them cool. Later you may store them in an airtight container.

Instant Spicy Water

Ingredients:

Jal jeera mix 3 tblsp, water 6 cups, mint leaves ½ cup (fresh or dry), lemon juice 2 tsp,

Black salt to taste,1 tbsp brown sugar, 1tsp red pepper, 1tbsp boondi(optional)

(Jal Jeera Mix pack is available at any Indian Grocery store)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients well in a big jar and put in the refrigerator for cooling.

 

For Assembly:

Ingredients:

3 boiled potatoes semi mashed, 1 cup chick peas boiled and drained, green chutney and sweet chutney (see the recipe in Papri Chaat blog)

Method:

Make a small hole on a puffed up puri by tapping gently in the centre on the crisp side. Fill it with potatoes and 2 or 3 chickpeas with some green chutney, sweet chutney and some chilled spicy water prepared earlier. Stir the water before using so that all the spices get mixed.

You have to eat the gol gappa as soon as it gets filled with the spicy water. The best way to serve is to keep them filled with all the dry ingredients and offer guests small bowls filled with spicy water.  Let them dip their gol gappas into the spicy water themselves and eat immediately.