The Best Paani Puri 😌
(Or how we craved something so bad that we risked our sanity, safety, and digestive system just to have it. We did.)
In some parts of India, it’s called Gup Chup. Some say Gol Gappa. Others call it Puchka.
But to us? It's just heaven and an obsession.
And during the lockdown, with the fear of outside food lurking in every corner, we had only one choice: Make it ourselves.
The Battle Plan
Like every great food experiment, it started with:
✔️ 7-8 YouTube videos (watched repeatedly, obviously to have different ideas)
✔️ A long shopping list (which was growing by the second)
✔️ An intense discussion about our past disasters (because the trauma of the melted Tupperware still haunted us)
Once again, Delivery Bhai arrived. By now, we were basically best friends.
We opened the door with excited grins like kids getting their favorite toy.
Game on with our favorite desi song on google assistant
'Abhi na jaao chhod ke ki dil abhi bhara ni...'.
Step 1: The Puri Experiment
Now, normal people would just buy ready-made puris.
But did we ever take the easy route?
Absolutely not.
We wanted homemade, crispy, golden perfection.
So, we mixed semolina (suji) and wheat flour (atta)—to make it healthier (or so we told ourselves).
Added just the right amount of salt and oil and kneaded the dough like it was an ancient ritual.
Rolling out tiny, perfect circles was an art form. Some were round. Some were… experimental shapes (let’s not talk about those).
Deep frying? That’s where things got heated—literally.
🔥 Burn Count: 3 🔥
Every time I dropped a puri in the oil, it fought back with angry oil splashes.
(WHY does hot oil behave like an angry ex?!)
Meanwhile, my brother? He had his own problems.
Step 2: The Filling Fiasco
The heart of any paani puri is the stuffing.
So, we made:
✔️ Mashed potatoes (the soul of the stuffing)
✔️ White peas (softened and spiced)
✔️ Finely chopped tomatoes
✔️ Finely chopped coriander and mint leaves
✔️ A spice mix from heaven:
- Roasted cumin powder
- Red chili powder (just enough to set your mouth on fire)
- A pinch of turmeric
- Garam masala (because why not?)
- Salt
- Aamchur powder (for that zingggg*)
It was all going great until my brother touched his nose… with masala-covered hands.
A moment of silence (For a split second, time froze. Then—chaos).
One second later: "AAAHHHHHH!"
He screamed. His hands flailed like a Bollywood villain falling off a cliff. Eyes watering, nose burning, dignity lost...😂
And me? Laughing my paani puri-loving heart out while juggling between frying puris and making sure he didn’t go blind.
Step 3: The Magical ‘Paani’
Now, this was where legends were born.
The paani is everything. If you mess up the water, your paani puri is doomed.
So, we went all in:
✔️ Tamarind pulp for that deep tanginess.
✔️ A truckload of mint & coriander (because aroma matters).
✔️ Cumin, black salt, and chili powder for the kick.
✔️ Cold water (because no one likes warm disaster juice).
✔️ A handful of namkeen (crushed sev!) for that secret street-style twist.
We tasted it.
🔥 SPICY. 🌶️
🔥 TANGY. 🍋
🔥 PERFECT. 💙
Step 4: The Feast (And the Reality Check)
We destroyed those paani puris like we hadn’t eaten in years.
Every bite was crispy, spicy, tangy, pure magic.
Michelin star incoming,’ my brother declared. And then… our stomachs started plotting revenge.
"We are chefs now."
"This is our MasterChef moment."
But then…
Disaster.
Then rumbling.
Then FULL-BLAST REVENGE MODE.
Turns out, there’s a reason street vendors put just the right amount of spice.
We? We went rogue. But we loved it anyways !!
The Lesson?
Cooking is an art. But eating responsibly is a skill.
Did we regret it? No.
Would we do it again? 100%.
Would we tone down the spice next time? ...Maybe.
Because when you make paani puri at home, you don’t just cook.
You survive. You suffer. You question your choices. And then… you do it all over again.
And you love every second of it. 😆
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