Panipuri

The panipuri is a snack consumed in many parts of the Indian subcontinent. This dish is part of chaat, the fried salty snacks served on the roadsides. It consists of a puri Oval, hollow fried and you eat with the "flavored water" (pani), the chutney of tamarind, pepper, chaat masala, potatoes, onions and chickpeas. The dahipuri is a variant containing stirred curd. It is from Bombay and popular throughout the state of Maharashtra. The sevpuri is another variation of Bombay containing sev, the noodles of chickpea flour chips.

The term panipuri literally means "water-bread". Few things are known about its origins. The first document mentioning the term panipuri dates from 1955 to 1961. The panipuri has different names depending on the region. In Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand it is called golgappa, in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh its called pani ke bataashe, in Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu called panipuri, in West Bengal its phuchka, in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh its called phulki, in Gujarat Pakori, in Chhattisgarh and Odisha it is called gupchup.

The puri are hollow rolls, round and hard. Their top is broken to fill it with crushed potatoes or chickpeas and onions. A little powder of turmeric or chilli powder is sprinkled with a pinch of salt, then poured into the shell, and the upholstery on the chutney of tamarind sweet and chutney of chillies green and garlic or mint. Finally, a yogurt beaten and sweetened is poured generously on the puri and all is garnished with chickpea noodles, mung beans and chopped coriander leaves. However, there is no fixed recipe, but the basic ingredients remain the same. We can add green mango if it is the season, or a little lemon and chaat masala. You can also use spinach, corn, or paneer.

The puri are usually served by 5 or 6 per plate. Each puri must be eaten in one bite so that the full spectrum of flavors and textures are present in the mouth at the same time. From Mumbai to Pune, the panipuri immediately evoke the street food but they are also served in more upscale establishments. Recently, supermarkets have started marketing ready-to-eat versions and similar snacks such as bhelpuri.