The table was laden with little bowls, Parul had been busy all day preparing for the snack fest. 'Come after 8.30 p.m.' she said. Her parents had come up from Mumbai and her brother and his wife lived round the corner. A neat row of shoes outside her door, indicated that the others were already there.
Now I was in for a new experience. I had seen panipuri vendors on the street, but had always been advised not to try it for reasons of hygiene ! The puri is a spherical shape rather like a golf ball made of a paper-thin, very crisp layer of fried bread, bit like a potato crisp. Parul showed me how to tap the top with a spoon to make a small hole. Then fill it with a few bean sprouts, some pieces of potato and sweet chutney. Finally, you ladle in mint water until the puri is filled up and then pop the whole thing in your mouth and crunch - bit like eating a flavored water bomb ! But what an explosion of flavors and textures - the crisp puri, the liquid pani, mint, potato and sweet chutney !
The sev puri was quite different - this consisted of round flat discs (puri) topped with layers of potato, tamarind, chutney, cumin and chilly powder, chopped onions, sev and chopped coriander, all piled into an impossible pyramid ! The closest thing to it would be Italian crostini - but the taste is definitely different !
Sev puri is actually on sale inside the cinema, to chomp on while you watch a three hour Hindi movie. Glad they don't serve panipuri - that would be tempting fate and I would hate to be the cleaner after the show !
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