There is something about Indian street food that has caught the fancy of foodies since time immemorial. And when talking about street food of India, there is no way you cannot think about gol gappas (also known as paani puri, paani batashe and phuchkas). The ubiquitous snack is known by many names and is popular among all age groups for its unique flavour and crunch. But what has always appealed to us is the theatrics associated with the street food. Bite-sized, crispy, puffy pooris are punctured and filled with spicy filling made with potato, green chillies and chickpeas, and it is then filled with 'paani'. Gol gappe ka pani is the most crucial component of the snack; it has to have the right amount of tang and hotness.
For people who indulge in gol gappas often would know that there are at large two kind of 'puris' - atta puri and sooji poori. Puris made with sooji are slightly lighter and crunchy. It also has a distinct taste of its own; and you would be surprised to know how easy is it to make it at home!
(Also Read: Watch: How To Make Instant Rava Utthapam At Home)
Yes, it is very much possible to make street-side gol gappas at home, and we know how much you have missed it during the lockdown. So without further ado, let's get started with the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup or 150 grams of sooji
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- Lukewarm water for kneading the dough
- Oil for deep frying
Method:
- Take the sooji (try to take the thick variant) in a big bowl, add oil and water gradually. Knead it into a smooth dough that should not be too sticky or too tight. Cover the dough, let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Now, pull out small units from the smooth dough and roll them flat (about 2 ½ inch diameter) using a rolling pin.
- In a wok, heat some oil and start frying the sooji puris one by one. Fry until they puff up and turn golden brown from both ends. Switch off the heat when done.
- Strain and let it cool.
This is how you make sooji puris. But wait, that's not all - what about sonth ki chutney, potato and chickpea filling and gol gappe or pani puri ka paani? You can find step-by-step-tutorial of all these here. (Click on the link for pani poori recipe.)
Satiate your cravings with this wholesome recipe and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.