Its been a long time since my last visit to Mumbai when I worked on my ‘Street food of India’ book. Funny enough, this visit was also for street food. More specific, I came to Mumbai for Chowpatti beach and it’s Pani Puri vendors. It probably would have been better to come over the weekend when the beach is crowded with people, but my dead line was too tight and I had to go in the middle of the week.
Apart from Juhu in the suburbs, Chowpatty is Mumbai’s most famous beach. During the day, it is the hangout of the unemployed who snooze under the shade of its stunted trees, but in the evening the atmosphere is more like a carnival with hundreds of people coming to relax and maybe grab a light early evening bite at one of the bhelpuri shops hawking Mumbai’s most popular snacks: bhel puri and of course, Pani Puri.
Panipuri, also known as Gol Gappa (North India), Phuchka (Bengal), bataashaa or Gup chup is a popular street snack in the Indian subcontinent. It comprises a round, hollow “puri”, fried crisp and filled with a watery mixture of tamarind, chili, chaat masala , potato, onion and chickpeas. Its size is small enough to fit in the mouth. Pani comes from the Hindi word for water and puri (or poori), an Indian bread made by frying dough in oil. Delicious! :-)
Street food stalls on Chowpati beach in Mumbai offer a variety of favorite snacks like Bhel puri, Sev Puri and Pani puri.
A man visiting Chowpatti beach just after sunset, enjoys Pani Puri, as the vendor looks on. Mumbai. August 2009
Children visiting Chowpatti beach just after sunset, enjoy Pani Puri, a favorite street food snack. Mumbai, August 2009
Panipuri, or Pani puri, is a snack synonymous with the beaches of Mumbai. However, it is also very popular in all other parts of India known by many names like golgappa in North India, Foochka (Puchka) in West Bengal and Gupchup in some central parts of India like Hyderabad.
A vendor at a food stall on Juhu Chowpatti beach serving dripping Pani Puri. Mumbai, August 2009
A vendor at a food stall on Juhu Chowpatti beach serving dripping Pani Puri. Mumbai, August 2009
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I had a methi puri recently, divine, I am so envious!
Beautiful joyous photos!
:D lovely lovely photo essay this…
Jai Maharashtra
I want to be there!
Dont forget to ask for “MiTha (Sweet) puri” or “Masala (spices) puri” after your finish your panipuri….
Its a complementary puri you get to complete this eating experience….
cheers
:-) I know Abhishek. I did go for the masala ones :-) pretty awesome indeed
Superb blog, excellent photographs….great work man.
too good. i liked ur photography…
just finding some bombay pics i have got those on ur website.
good work
I really really miss the Pani Puri.
Almost worth the money flying back to Goa just for the pani puri :D
It seems like the street foods there are very famous. I want to taste them when i have the time to travel Chowpatty. The street foods in Siem Reap are also delicious and famous to the tourist.