My friend Bittu and his family took me out to the Saturday bazaar near their home in Delhi. After buying a dress for his niece and some earrings for me, we stopped at a few different food stalls so I could try some of their favorite street foods. We went around 10:00 PM, which was when all of the stalls were closing down. It was fun to run around catching the last snacks before closing time.
I tried gol gappe, which are also called pani puri. This snack can be found all over cities in India. I often see people with small carts moving from location to location to sell it. A few days ago it was served as an appetizer at a wedding. I was excited to have it for a second time!
I had no idea how to eat gol gappa. I didn't know if I should pop it in my mouth all at once, slurp the liquid out of the middle, or take bites out of it. I asked Bittu's sister Didi and she told me to shove it in my mouth all at once. I braced myself because I wasn't sure if it was going to be spicy. After eating my first one I was confused. "Was that it?" I asked myself. I watched Didi as she put her small plate in front of the man serving us, and he made her a second one. We did this five more times, and then she nodded at him to tell him that we were full. I probably could have eaten at least five more, but then we moved on to try something else.
