All About Panipuri | Paani batashe | Golgappe | Gupchup | 8 Variety | Facts
Panipuri, this popular Street food is a type of snack that originated in India. It consists of round shaped deep-fried crispy dough balls (Puri) filled with boiled gram or white peas and some may prefer mashed potatoes as puri filling with a mixture of tangy, spicy flavored water and some sweet chutney. Tangy spicy flavored water (Pani) is made of tamarind (imli), mint, coriander green chilies, ginger lemon, black salt, and chaat masala. Your mouth must have been watery too.
Place of origin and its story
Panipuri has two different stories, One is historical and the other one is mythological.
Historically it is believed that Panipuri was first introduced in the ancient kingdom of Magadha. Panipuri was called Phulki in the kingdom of Magadha.
Mythological, it is believed that Panipuri was first introduced in Mahabharata by Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas, when newly wedded Draupadi came home Kunti her mother in law gave her a task to test if her new daughter-in-law would be able to manage with them As the Pandavas were living in exile, they had to manage with scarce resources. So Kunti gave Draupadi some leftover vegetables and just enough wheat dough to make one puri and she instructed her to make food that would satisfy the hunger of all five Pandavas. It is believed that this was when the new bride invented an early variation of Panipuri.
Which city is famous for Panipuri?
Well, Every city must have the best panipuri but the answer is Mumbai. The lip-smacking snack of Mumbai which is popular as Pani Puri is stuffed with boiled white peas and potato. On the top, the pulp of date and tamarind is used as a sweet chutney with spicy mint water. In the end, the craving is incomplete without sukha puri (free puri). The cost of one plate (6pcs.) Panipuri is 80 Rupees. In Mumbai Bandra, the Elco market is known as the best pani puri place. Elco market Panipuri stall is famous across the country as it even brings celebrities to its doors. From the crispy puri to their icy cold tangy flavored water, they make finger-licking good panipuris. It’s extremely crowded on weekends because the taste is mouth-watering.
Does PaniPuri increase weight or affect health?
Eating anything too much is not good for your health. One Gol Gappa has 32-36 calories and a lot of nutritionists suggest that panipuri can help you lose weight but only if you eat those when prepared at home only. At home, you can prepare wheat puri to avoid semolina and cook them in less oil. and simple tricks to make puris absorb less oil is to avoid making your dough very runny or very hard and for the water you can use cumin or Jal jeera and healthy stuffing like chana or moong dal can make it even healthier
Do you know different varieties of Pani Puri
Pani Puri
The Panipuri is a popular street snack in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Nepal, This is the most popular name and is used most commonly. A deep crispy fried hollow and round puri filled with tangy and spicy water along with tamarind chutney, potato, white peas (ragda), and some chaat masala.
Phuchka
Popular in the eastern parts of India like Bihar, Jharkhand Assam and West Bengal. A Puchka puri is made of wheat flour and filled with boiled gram and mashed potatoes, the chutney is tangy and the water is spicy and it is slightly bigger as compared to normal puris.
Gup Chup
The name is given because of the sound made while eating, being silent. The street snack of Jharkhand is famously known as Gup Chup because puris crack as soon as they are relished and tangy water is loaded inside the mouth. It is a simple meal with only white peas (ragda) without any addition of potatoes and spicy water with finely chopped onions.
Paani ke batashe
The delicious lip-smacking snack of Lucknow known as Paani Ke Batashe consists of mashed potato and gram as its stuffing but instead of having it with sweet or sour chutney or mint water separately, they use syrup of mango as water.
Gol Gappe / Golgappa
The lip-smacking snack of puris filled with spicy water is known as Gol Gappe in New Delhi, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. Gol Gappe is made from a mixture of potato, chickpea, Added with onion, and boondi with a fine garnish of coriander leaves On the top mint water along with tamarind pulp is mixed to give a sweet and sour taste served with tangy mint water. The puris have the extra crunch that will leave you wanting for more.
Paani Ke Patashe
The snack of Haryana called Pani ke Patashe is stuffed with black gram and mashed potato for filling with tamarind pulp and mint tangy spicy water and On the top lemon juice is sprinkled for a little salty taste.
Phulki
The delicious snack of Uttar Pradesh and some regions of Nepal call Pani puri as Phulki. Phulki is stuffed with boiled white peas curry (ragda), on the top finely chopped onion and coriander with tamarind chutney and filled with tangy and even more spicy water.
Pakodi
Do not confuse Pakodi with the regular pakoras. Pani puri is referred to as pakodi in some parts of Gujarat and Kutch. The preparation of pakodi is similar to Pani Puri but the presentation is quite different. The snack of Gujarat is well-liked for its stuffing of potatoes, chickpeas, and moong. It is eaten with adding onion and sev to it with sharp mint and green chili tangy spicy water mixture and The best addition to the serving is Sev.
Best Time to have Pani Puri
Before going on a pani puri treat, even for something made at home, you should know the best times to have them. If you are craving panipuri, have a plate full at noon. The high salt content in the salty water present in pani puris may cause water retention. Avoid having them in the evening as it may hamper your numbers on the weighing scale.
If you are in the mood for some delicious Panipuri, then here are some of the best places in Mumbai to enjoy it.