If there is one street food in India that almost everyone is acquainted with, irrespective of where they live and what they eat, then it has to be golgappa. Known by different names like phuchka, pani puri, gup chup, and many more, the best part about this street food is that it can always be customised as per one's preference. If you want it to be extra spicy or sweet, you can have it that way.
The reason why golgappas are so popular in India is because they can encapsulate a myriad of flavours. Moreover, having different types of pani with golgappas lets each person pick out what they like the most. All these flavours are made by different primary ingredients that makes the golgappas taste so different.
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The pani, which is made from flavourful Indian spices like cumin seed powder, tamarind, jaggery, green chillies, and many other ingredients, is filled inside a crunchy small puri or ball-like structure along with a filling of some spiced mashed potatoes. These days, one can find different types of pani flavours being sold by the vendors. Sure, there are some interesting pani recipes that one can try making at home for a golgappa party.
* Hing Pani
Hing pani is for the true appreciators of strong and bold flavours. The most evident flavour in this pani is that of asafoetida. It is made by mixing half a teaspoon of hing with an equal quantity of pepper and ¼ teaspoon of chaat masala. For some extra flavours, one can add black salt and a little bit of salt as per their taste. In this mixture, one has to slowly add 2 cups of water and mix everything properly.
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* Nimbu Pani
Nimbu pani has the sour flavours of lime that are subdued a little bit by the use of pepper powder, roasted cumin powder, black salt, chaat masala, and then 2 cups of water. The nimbu pani originally doesn't have any source of sweetness but one can certainly add some sugar syrup or jaggery powder to the mixture if one wants to make it a bit sweet.
* Pudina Pani
Pudina pani is perfect for summer, as it has a rejuvenating and refreshing flavour because of the presence of mint leaves and coriander. To make this pani at home, one has to simply follow the recipe for making a coriander and mint chutney in a food processor. Now inside this chutney, one has to add cumin seed powder, black pepper, chaat masala, black salt, and water to make the consistency of the mixture thin. All of this has to be mixed well in the food processor.
* Imli Pani
Imli pani is a classic and quintessential golgappa pani flavour that has been consumed by people for ages. This has a simple flavour that is made by mixing some 2 tablespoons of tamarind chutney with roasted cumin powder, half a teaspoon of chaat masala, 2 teaspoons of black salt, 2 cups of water, a little bit of jaggery powder, and salt as per taste. This pani is going to have an orangish-brown colour and perfectly balanced flavours because of the presence of jaggery powder and imli.
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* Jeera Pani
Jeera pani is good for the stomach and is also consumed as a detoxifying drink first thing in the morning. The jeera pani made for gol gappas also has a similar, nutty and refreshing flavour. It is made by taking a spoonful of roasted cumin seed powder, black salt, 2 cups of water, half a spoonful of chaat masala, and salt as per taste.
* Rasam Pani
Rasam pani flavour for golgappas is inspired by rasam which is a south indian stew made from turmeric, tamarind, tomatoes, chilli pepper, hing, and many other condiments. Rasam pani in golgappas may seem like an absurd combination, but it is surely worth a try. Rasam pani is a flavourful synthesis of different ingredients like garlic, pods, green chillies, half a teaspoon of roasted cumin powder, black pepper, chaat masala, 2 spoons of black salt, 2 cups of water and salt to taste. This pani is an attempt to imitate the flavours of rasam for golgappas. This pani is flavourful yet very soothing. When filled with crunchy golgappa, it touches the right chords in the heart!
* Lasooni Pani
Lasooni pani is made by mixing 4 tablespoons of garlic juice, a teaspoon of garam masala, roasted cumin powder, black pepper powder, 2 cups water, 2 spoons of black salt, and a little bit of salt as per the test. Before making this at home, one must remember that this pani has very strong and concentrated flavours. It is not for people who like their golgappas to be a bit sweet and tangy.
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* Aam Pani
Aam pani is a must-try during the summer. The sweetness of mangoes is fully utilised by mixing them with a teaspoon of chaat masala, black pepper, black salt, a tablespoon of roasted cumin powder, 2 cups of water and salt as per taste. One can add some mint leaves on top just before pouring this water inside some crunchy golgappas.