By Liane Arno
AS YOU know we recently travelled to India. Street food is on each corner with restaurant-grade appetisers at a fraction of the price. Many people will tell us not to eat street food but we think it is probably safer than eating in a restaurant. Let’s face it: when we as travellers eat from a street stall it is likely to be the only time we will ever grace that particular establishment but the throng of local people who are also eating there will likely eat there every day. If they become unwell after eating the food then they will find another vendor. The food is always fresh as there is no refrigeration so it is a no brainer as far as we are concerned.
One of our favourite street food was pani puri. We were drawn to a street cart that was selling them and asked to try one. We were refused. Not because he wouldn’t serve us - but we needed to order 10.
AS YOU know we recently travelled to India. Street food is on each corner with restaurant-grade appetisers at a fraction of the price. Many people will tell us not to eat street food but we think it is probably safer than eating in a restaurant. Let’s face it: when we as travellers eat from a street stall it is likely to be the only time we will ever grace that particular establishment but the throng of local people who are also eating there will likely eat there every day. If they become unwell after eating the food then they will find another vendor. The food is always fresh as there is no refrigeration so it is a no brainer as far as we are concerned.
One of our favourite street food was pani puri. We were drawn to a street cart that was selling them and asked to try one. We were refused. Not because he wouldn’t serve us - but we needed to order 10.
Each hollow ball (pani) was picked up by the vendor, who then pressed his thumb in the top to make a hole. This was then stuffed with some boiled vegetables and then dunked in a pot of sauce (pani – which means water) and passed to the customers that milled around the cart. How the vendor knew that one customer was up to his eighth pani puri and we were were only up to our second goodness only knows.
When we got home we were determined to try and found it surprisingly easy to replicate.
When we got home we were determined to try and found it surprisingly easy to replicate.
The first thing to do is to go to an Indian grocers and find some pani puri chips or golgappa. They are incredibly cheap at $9 for 1kg or $3 for 200g. One kilo will give you about 350 puris and so a couple of cents each. The alternative is to buy them already fried but then you are up for $10 for 50 which is 20 cents each and you can’t rely on them being fresh and unbroken.
Frying the chips is as easy as frying pappadams (I do love that word) just pop them into the deep fryer or even a pan of oil on the stove. After a few seconds they will rise to the surface and then you can turn them over to cook the other side. And you are left with this crisp, hollow ball. Magic.
The ball is then filled with some small diced potato and a few lentils if you fancy – but the main part is the pani – the water which you traditionally dunk the puri – but we prefer pouring.
We have stumbled on the best location for coriander to grow and it is in season at the moment. It is a main component of the pani.
In order to make the sauce (pani water) blitz:
Add to 2 cups of cold water.
The trick to eating is to stuff the whole thing into your mouth. No nibbling at the edges – just eaten whole in one bite for a burst of flavour and texture.
Frying the chips is as easy as frying pappadams (I do love that word) just pop them into the deep fryer or even a pan of oil on the stove. After a few seconds they will rise to the surface and then you can turn them over to cook the other side. And you are left with this crisp, hollow ball. Magic.
The ball is then filled with some small diced potato and a few lentils if you fancy – but the main part is the pani – the water which you traditionally dunk the puri – but we prefer pouring.
We have stumbled on the best location for coriander to grow and it is in season at the moment. It is a main component of the pani.
In order to make the sauce (pani water) blitz:
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 small red or green chili according to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black salt
Add to 2 cups of cold water.
The trick to eating is to stuff the whole thing into your mouth. No nibbling at the edges – just eaten whole in one bite for a burst of flavour and texture.
Pani puri pleased at the Wamoon Spring Yoga Retreat at Wilsons Prom. Photos: Amy Wallace