Paani Puri / Gol Gappa Preparation and Serving Tips

Paani Puri is a North Indian name. In other places, it is known as Gol Gappa or golgappa.

The name "Paani Puri" refers to the composition of the snack (puri getting filled with flavored water before eating). The name "Gol Gappa" refers to the swallowing act of a round object. ('Gol' means round and 'gappa' means swallowing. It describes the sensation of the round snack dissolving quickly in your mouth.

Paani Puri is a recipe made up of small dough puffs (round balls fried in oil) stuffed with cooked chickpeas and served with sour and spicy water. It is a typical North-Indian snack popular in big cities across India. You can find it at roadside stalls on crowded streets.

"Paani Puri/Gol Gappa typically consists of a combination of three items."

They are: 1) Puri (the round ball), 2) Chickpea stuff, 3) Spicy water. All these combined, make the whole dish of Paani Puri.

Now, I am sharing the preparation instructions for all three elements of this Golgappa recipe.

Preparation of Puri for Golgappa

Paani Puri ball is prepared with rava/semolina dough rolled into small round spreads applying refined wheat flour.

Ingredients for Puri

• semolina/rava One Cup
• refined wheat flour/maida for rolling purpose in a small plate or bowl
• a pinch of baking soda & salt as required
• one or two teaspoons of oil for preparing the dough 
• oil for deep-frying the puris

Preparation Instructions for Puri

• mix the semolina thoroughly adding water intermittently to make the dough. Add the baking soda also while kneading it thoroughly. The texture should be soft and tender, but not sticky.
• Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to enable complete absorption of water. This will aid the puris to become puffy when fried.
• you can add some oil while kneading to prevent the stickiness of the batter.
• now, make the dough into small balls for rolling the puris.
• Use the rolling rod (wooden or metal) to flatten the dough into small, round, and thin shapes. The dry flour powder is used while rolling to make the flattened, handy, flat shapes that can be easily handled while frying them.
• Now, light the stove and put the deep-fry pan filled with oil on it. The oil should be filled only up to 50% of the frying pan or less to prevent spilling while working with it.
• When the oil becomes hot and emits vapor, drop the puri and fry one by one. You may press the edges of the puris holding the turner in one hand and a spoon in the other to make them puffy round balls.
• You can roll the puris first and then start the frying job, or roll and drop each one as and when rolled; according to your convenience and your speed/smartness in rolling.
• So, your puris are ready now for making the Golgappas.

Preparation of Filling for Paani Puri

The filling stuff is prepared by pressure cooking ordinary chana, Kaabuli Chana, or dry peas known as matar dal.

Ingredients for Paani Puri Fill

• one cup chana dal (chickpea legume) or similar legumes like dry matar
• 3 or 4 medium size potatoes
• 3 or 4 onions
• garlic, ginger, and green chili as per requirements to suit your taste
• 1/4 spoon of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder
• coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation Tips for Golgappa Fill

• The chickpeas or dry peas should be soaked in water overnight before using.
• Remove the water, wash again, and transfer the peas into a cooker. Add sufficient water to prepare a solid and finely-cooked stuff. Place the lid and cook on medium to high flame for about 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, check whether it is cooked fully. If not, cook for some more minutes.
• Turn off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Now, cook potatoes in another pressure cooker. After you hear 3 to 4 whistles, you can turn off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Slice the onions into small pieces. Similarly, make fine pieces of garlic, ginger, and green chilies.
• Now, place a deep frying pan on a flame with one or two spoons of oil in it.
• When the oil is heated, add the onion pieces and fry them until golden.
• Now, add the pieces of garlic, ginger, and chili and fry them.
• Peel off the cooked potatoes and add the stuff to the spices in the frying pan.
• Now, add the cooked peas, after mashing up a little, and mix all the ingredients thoroughly to make a soft stuff. Mix the turmeric powder also to it while hot.
• Your paani puri stuffing ingredient is ready. You will fill it in the puri while serving.

Spicy Water for Paani Puri

This is the third item required for serving the puris. The other two are Puri & Chickpea-Potato stuff.

Ingredients for Spicy Water

• Water as per requirement (one puri gets filled with one to two tablespoons of water)
• Tamarind seedless 10 grams to be soaked in a cup of water (if you don't get tamarind, you can substitute it with lemons or mango powder)
• Spices like pepper powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder as per your tastes
• Jaggery powder, black salt powder, and salt to taste
• You can add Pudina and Coriander leaves also for a nice look and flavor.

Preparation Tips for Spicy Water

• Prepare tamarind juice by dissolving the tamarind pods until perfectly mixed with water to make a thick juice. Remove the unabsorbed waste remnants from it.
• If you don't procure tamarind, do not worry. In place of tamarind juice, you can use lemon juice or dry mango powder (known as amchoor in India).
• Now, take fresh water in a large bowl and add the juice mixing it briskly with a spoon or ladle.
• Add the spice powders one by one mixing with the spoon. Add one or two spoons of jaggery powder and mix well. Now, add the black salt and normal salt as per requirements and mix thoroughly.
• Your spice water recipe is ready now. 

Serving Tips for Paani Puri

1. Keep all the three items at hand in separate containers. Keep small plates or bowls for serving.
2. Press the puris gently with your finger in the middle to create a hollow place for putting the cooked potato-pea recipe in it.
3. Fill the spicy water into small cups for each person. Give a plate to each and ask them to sit or stand around in front of you holding the plates.
4. Fill the stuff into the round balls, one by one, and simultaneously keep serving the customers in turns.
5. The person eating them will be filling the spice water from their cups before eating each ball. This will prevent the puris from becoming soaked and melting into soft pieces.