Golgappa or Pani Puri happens to be one of the favorite street foods of India. Crunchy puris full of spicy, tangy water called 'pani' with a mixture of chutneys and fillings-this is one snacking weakness many of us are guilty of giving into.
While eating golgappas on the road from a favorite hawker is fun, to make them in your homes can be equally entertaining, with a scope to try different flavours.
The quintessential experience with golgappas starts with teekha pani, an overflowing vessel with strong flavors that tingle your taste buds alive. Fresh mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies, and tamarind pulp are blended together to make this pani at home. Cold water, black salt, roasted cumin powder, and chaat masala are added to the above mixture. Adjust the spice quotient according to your taste with more or fewer chilies.
Those who love a hint of sweetness in their golgappa must try the sweet tamarind water. This recipe takes the spice of the traditional pani down a notch with the addition of a little sugar. Begin by soaking tamarind in warm water until it softens. Strain the pulp and mix it with water, jaggery, or sugar and a pinch of black salt. You could even add a pinch of roasted cumin powder for added taste. Sweet and tangy, the flavors of this pani are quite well-liked.
Fresh and refreshing mint water is a very good palate cleanser, particularly when you intend to serve different flavors of golgappas to your guests at a particular gathering. To prepare pudina pani, blend fresh mint leaves along with green chilies, ginger, lemon juice until smooth. Blend it with cold water and season with black salt and roasted cumin powder.
Asafoetida or hing aids digestion and gives this golgappa water its characteristic fume flavor. To make it, mix a small amount of hing in lukewarm water and blend with tamarind pulp, mint leaves, and green chilies. Add black salt and chaat masala to give it that touch of spice, balanced with a little sugar. That would be an apt pani for those who like their flavors pungent and strong, leaving a tinge of bitterness.
For the mango lovers, here it is. Aam pani refers to a seasonal variation of the classic golgappa water and is made with raw mangoes. Boil raw mangoes until they are soft. Let them cool down. Peel the pulp and then blend with mint leaves, green chilies, and a bit of sugar. Mix this with water, black salt, and roasted cumin powder. What you get is tangy, yet somewhat sweet pani, that's just ideal for summers.
The preparation of Jaljeera is a very famous Indian drink and can serve very well as a golgappa water. For this, one needs to blend together mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies, and ginger. Add this to water along with roasted cumin powder, black salt, and a bit of tamarind pulp. You can also add a pinch of dry mango powder-amchur for extra tanginess.
Making golgappa water is an easy task, but it's also an avenue to experiment with flavours. From spicy to tangy, sweet, or refreshing, there is just the right kind of golgappa pani for everyone.
