Pani Puri is the one true food item that unites this diverse country. Every region has its own version of these water balls – varying in its constituents, yet singular in its essence. You will hardly encounter someone who doesn’t start salivating at the mention of this super spicy, tangy street-food.
Here’s a lowdown on what are the various names Pani Puri is known by in different parts of the country and how each of these variants are unique in its own way.
PS: We are not responsible for your hunger pangs and cravings that’ll grip you after reading the post
1. Pani Puri
In Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and some parts of Nepal, it is called pani puri. Though it is called pani puri in all these regions, the preparation is different in every state. In Maharastra, it is served with tangy green and sweet tamarind chutney, while people in Madhya Pradesh, eat it with mashed potato. In Gujarat, people prefer finely diced potatoes instead of mashed potatoes and in Bangalore, onions are a must in the filling.
2. Phuchka
In Bangladesh and Eastern Indian states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, these sweet water balls are called Phuchka. In these states, they make it with the mixture of a boiled gram and mashed potatoes as the filling, the chutney is tangy rather than sweetish and the water has tamarind and spices. Green chillies are a must in the filling, which is what makes it super challenging to eat. The water balls are smaller than the ones available in other parts of the country.
3. Gol Gappe
In Delhi, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Pakistan, these are famously known as Gol Gappe. These gol gappes are made with either flour or semolina and has a filling of potato and chickpea mixture, chutney and served with tangy water.
4. Pakodi
In several parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, pani puri is known as pakodi. These are not regular gol gappas, rather they have green chillies and a lot of mint in water. Sev is an interesting twist to these water balls.
5. Paani ke Patashe
In parts of Haryana, these are called Paani ke Patashe. These taste similar to normal ones, just that the puris are made with flour.
6. Pani ke Bataashe
In various parts of Uttar Pradesh like Lucknow, this dish is called Pani ke bataashe. These are crispy balls with a hole made using a thumb and a small amount of boiled peas is filled inside it and later water. Also, you can enjoy the delicacy in 5 different types of water called Paanch Swaad ke Batashe.
7. Gup Chup
In parts of Odisha, Hyderabad and South Jharkhand, these are famous with the name of Gup Chup. These are called gup chup because it makes a bursting sound in the mouth.
8. Phulki
Pani puri is known as Phulki in the eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh and are similar to pani ke batashe.
9. Tikki
Surprisingly, in Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad these are referred to as Tikki. Stuffed with boiled potatoes and tangy water, these taste like gol gappe.
10. Padaka
In Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh pani puri is referred to as Padaka.
