THE MANY NAMES FOR PANI PURI
1. Pani Puri
The most obvious one, this is the
most popular name in most parts of India and the world. Pani Puri is used in
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and even in parts
of Nepal. Although addressed by the same name in all these regions, the pani
puri greatly varies in taste. While in Mumbai it is predominantly the hot ragda
(thick white peas curry) variety that you get with the meetha imli
chutney, in MP, there is potato mash added and no boondi in the water.
In Gujarat, the tradition is to add finely diced potatoes with some boiled moong,
sweet chutney made of dates and boondi added to the paani. In
Bangalore, onions are also added to the mix.
2. Puchka
More famous in Eastern India (West
Bengal and Assam) as Puchka, the snack is also called by the same name in
Bangladesh. Puchkas are quite different from pani puris in terms of content and
taste. Puchkas use a mixture of boiled gram and mashed potatoes as the filling,
the chutney is tangy rather than sweetish and the water is spicy. Puchkas are
also slightly bigger in size and the puris are darker in colour. Bihar and
Jharkhand also know the delicious snack as Puchka.
3. Gol Gappe
The delicious snack of puris filled
with tangy water is known as Gol Gappe in Northern India. Almost all of North
India, except Haryana, refers to it as Gol Gappe. The taste in Northern India
is pretty much the same and it is a favourite. With Gol Gappa stalls lining
every street and corner, this is probably equivalent to North India what Vada
Pav is to Maharashtra. Gol Gappe are made from a mix of potato and chickpea
stuffing, chutney and very tangy water. The water has a dash of mint and lots
of spices added to it. Also, in some places in North India, the puris for the
Gol Gappe are not very round but slightly longish.
Nathu Sweets, Bengali Market in Delhi
is the best place to relish some delish Gol Gappe.
4. Pakodi
Do not confuse these with the very
famous pakodas, but pani puri is referred to as Pakodi in some
interior parts of Gujarat. The taste and the preparation remains similar though
there are considerable differences. Sev is sometimes an interesting addition to
Pakodi in some places. Pakodis generally leave the sweet chutney out but
incorporate onions. The water is heavy on mint and green chillies. Quite a
deviation from the sweet-spicy snack, pakodis are quite stuffed and spicy.
Santosh Dabeli Pakodi Centre in
Gandhinagar is one of the most famous places in Gujarat to enjoy Pakodis.
5. Paani ke Patashe
Literally translated from both the
main ingredients of the dish, puris and the tangy water, Paani ke Patashe is
what pani puri is called in parts of Haryana. The taste though is quite similar
to that of Gol Gappe.
6. Patashi
Not to be confused with the sweet
made of sugar, Patashi is another name for pani puri. Popular as Patashi or
Paani ke Batashe in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh the main ingredients here
involve the use of different spices for the water though the filling stays the
same, i.e, potatoes and chickpeas or gram. In Lucknow, one can taste Paani ke
Batashe with 5 different types of water, called Paanch Swaad ke Batashe
(spheres of 5 tastes), famous at Hazratganj. The water for Patashi is generally
made from dry mangoes.
7. Gup Chup
A very interesting name this. Pani
puris are called Gup Chup in parts of Odisha, South Jharkhand,
Chhatisgarh, Hyderabad, and Telangana because of the sound they make when the
puris burst and the water fills the mouth. Gup Chups generally consist only of
boiled chickpeas or white peas and spicy water, eliminating the
potatoes. As a result, they are much lighter to eat. Onions are not always
added but can be, on request.
8. Phulki
While Gujaratis refer to chapati as
phulkas, pani puri is called Phulki in the eastern parts of Uttar
Pradesh and some regions of Nepal. The preparation for Phulki is the standard
and it is only the name that differs. Phulki is traditionally not used as it is
often confused with the Ramadan savoury of Dahi Phulki, which is essentially dahi
vadas where the vadas are made of chickpeas instead of split black
lentils. Phulki is not very common and rarely used though.
9. Tikki
It is only in Hoshangabad in
Madhya Pradesh where pani puri is referred to as Tikki. For the rest
of the world, Tikkis are aloo tikkis but for these guys, tikkis are
yummy puris stuffed with potatoes or chickpeas and dipped in tangy water!
Once again, a one-off name, Padaka is
what the people of Aligarh, UP, call pani puri.
11. Water Balls
The poor English perhaps had no idea
what to call these so they simply translated pani puri to water balls. The
funniest name of pani puri so far!
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