10 Cities And Their Popular Panipuri Joints For The Die-Hard Fans

I haven’t even begun stringing sentences and just the idea is making me restless for crispy-tangy-spicy-refreshing treats that happily go pachak in my mouth, giving me the pleasure that no best of the compliments can. Golgappas, for me, are the reason to thank life for! They are my eternal love…the one that I am sure will never disappear, no matter what city I go to next. They will be there.

Known by different names in different cities, and prepared with more or less the same technique with slight inputs of the local tastes, these yummilicious treats give you an idea of what heaven must be like.

Take these 10 cities for instance. If you are planning to visit any of these and are a golgappa lover, these are the places that will give your taste buds the best of experience.

1. Mumbai ki Paani Puri

Original Image Source: vishalphotography.com

The splash these little ones take inside of your mouth is something that the entire of India desires to experience. And to devour the best of panipuri while you take the feels of the city, visit…

Elco Market is known as the best panipuri place in the city for reasons beyond the taste they provide. One of them being the usage of filter water instead of the regular kind that you often suspect of carrying disease-brewing bacteria. So yeah, you can enjoy the full-on street food without worrying about how pure the water is.

There’s also Punjab Sweet House, which provides the prized taste with the mineral water. Its popularity quotient can be best explained by the fact it is credited as the Best Pani Puri in Mumbai by CNN Travel.

There’s also:

• Bhagatchand Tarachand – Mumbadevi Commercial Centre in Zaveri Bazaar
• Vithal Bhelwala- Near CST
• Breach Candy- There’s a tiny little stall there that provides yummilicious panipuri. Location would be, near Breach Candy Hospital, Warden Road
• Jai Jhulelal Snacks- Mulund Station Road, Vidya Vihar, Mulund West
• Shivkripa Panipuri Stall- Thane West, near John Baptist school
• Appointment- Seven Bungalows, Andheri West
• Bajrang Chaat Centre- Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, near Greenfields Society

 

2. Delhi ke Golgappe

Oh yes, Delhi and Mumbai go hand-in-hand when it comes to giving the best of chaat experience.

Shree Balaji Chaat Bhandar in Chandni Chowk is one of the best places to let the tide of tangy-refreshing-spicy treat go swish in your mouth. They call it must-visit for no lame reason. Do visit when you come to Old Delhi area next time.

There’s also:

• Jai Mata Di chaat centre- Man Singh Road, near UPSC building
• Chote Lal Chaat Bhandar- Chawri Bazaar
• Grover Sweets- Rajouri Market
• Bengali Sweet House- Connaught Place
• Bittu Tikki Wala- Pitampura
• Ashok Chaat Bhandar- Sitaram Bazaar in Chandni Chowk
• Lala Babu Chaat Bhandar- Chandni Chowk

 

3. Kolkata ke puchke

In Kolkata, the golgappas and panipuris become puchkas.

Behind New Market, they say, the many puchka sellers have been feeding the good taste to public for decades now.

• Vivekananda Park- There’s one side of the park that remains queued up by stalls, at Southern Avenue
• Dakshinapan Shopping Complex- Dhakuria (They have something called Aalu Dum Puchka, which, is a must-try)
• Ballygunge Petrol Pump- Near Garihat Flyover (There was an old man here who used to sell puchkas since many years. Now, his son runs the stall. Popularity quotient? Still, sky high!)

 

4. Bangalore ke …(well, call ’em by any of the above-mentioned names)

Here, they make a subtle version of the golgappas and make them appropriate for the local tastes. The famous Anand Sweets in Bangalore is where you can get tasty golgappas in their sanitised version.

My favourite stall, though, was by this man from Allahbad who had put up his stall on the main road of HSR layout, which heads towards Sector 2. He used to make the best golgappas I have ever had anywhere else. (I hope he still puts up his stall there)

• Rakesh Pani Puri and Chaat- Jayanagar (Mr. Rakesh hails from Benaras, and has been serving authentic North-Indian chaat in the southern city since 1994)
• Shubh sweets- HSR Layout, Sector 1
• Anil Kumar’s panipuri- New BEL road (The Ramaiah’s students love this guy from Mirzapur who gives just enough hint of spices to keep them desiring more)
• Thengu Mane- Rajaji Nagar (The water they use to fill the golgappa is coconut water)
• Ramraj’s Pani Puri- Frazer Town

 

5. Hyderabad k gupchup

Famous for the very authentic and mouth-watering Hyderabadi Biryani, this city is also home to some of the best golgappa joints.

Gokul Chaat in Koti is one of the many hits among the locals, which provides an array of mouth-watering chaats including, of course, the very tasty golgappas. There’s also Santosh Famous in Sindhi Colony, that allows you to enjoy just the kind of golgappas you want. Be it Kolkata ka puchka or north k golgappe, you will get some of their best of versions here.

• Maharaja Chaat- Road no. 1, Jubilee Hills
• KBR Park Chaat- KRB Park main gate, Jubilee Hills Check Post
• Sardarji Chaat- Outside Spencers Store, Indranagar

 

6. Nagpur ki panipuri

The people of the orange city are the foodies not very known. I have a friend from Nagpur who has the ability to lick-clean a medium cheese burst in less than 5 minutes- true story! Coming back to the chaat side of the city, though, there are certain famous ones that have been selling the good taste for decades now.

• Jai Ambe Chaat Corner- Opposite Crescent Hospital, Dhantoli
• Tuhi Nirankar Swadisht Panipuri- Outside Traffic Park (In business for about 27 years now, the taste of the golgappas here is so popular that many other thelawalas in the vicinity copy the name of the shop- says Rakesh Patel, the owner)
• Mathuravasi Chaat Centre- Pannalal Devdiya Hindi Shaala, Nanga Putla Chowk, Itwari (About three decades old, the reason this place attracts a heavy crowd is probably the mango-mint water they use instead of the conventional tamarind one)
• Gurukrupa Chaat Centre- Beside Durga Mata Mandir in Pratap Nagar, it is a must-must-visit. It offers the three types of golgappas (khatta, meetha, teekha), and the khatta one is known to have as many as 41 spices in it!

 

7. Pune ki panipuri

Now who wouldn’t like to devour the refreshingly tangy taste amidst the refreshingly cool evening breeze in the beautiful city?

Punekars simply love the panipuri they make at Jaishankar Panipuri Wala at Babajan chowk, Jaan Mohammed Street. Another notable spot would be Tamanna Pani Puri at Koregaon Park.

 

8. Jaipur ke golgappe/ paani patashe/ patashi

The city of heritage is well-renowned for its Raj Kachori, but not just that. Golgappa love is just as strong among Jaipurites as it is in any other chaat-loving city of India.

The many thelas lacing the main road across the market area of Bajaj Nagar offer the best of spicy treats. There is one Bihari seller, in particular, who along with his son (who, by the way, is an engineer now), is very popular among the crowd.

• Chawla’s- Fashion Street, Lane No.1, Raja Park (You. Will. Love. It.)
• Nand’s Gol Gappa’s- Opposite Golgappe At Chawla’s
• Ridhi Sidhi Sweets- Mansarovar

 

9. Lucknow ki patashi

The cuisine of Nawabon-ka-sheher is relished India-wide, yet is somewhat less-talked about. More or less, it is the chaat of UP that kind of rules in every other city.

• King of Chat- Parivartan Chowk in Mahatma Gandhi Marg. (It is one of the oldest establishments that till date continues to give its customers the zesty-at-its-best flavour of authentic UP batashas.)
• Jain Chat Corner- Near Novelty Picture Hall, Lalbagh

 

10. Ahmedabad ki panipuri

For Gujjus, without any exaggeration, food is life. Some of the popular panipuri joints that are a must try in the capital of the state known mostly for its all the ‘…ras’ are:

• I.M. Natural Pani Puri Wala- Opposite The Grand Bhagwati, Commerce Six Road, Navrangpura
• Shantaben Pani Puri Wala- Shree Harikrupa Building, Ellisbridge Corner, Ellis Bridge

Golgappa, I believe, is the only food item that soothes taste buds and soul with a splash of spice! And, all the aforementioned cities are just a few of many from the country that bless us with this divine snack.

Some of the other notable ones that are coming to my mind right now are Allahabad and Varanasi. Unfortunately, though, because of the lack of matter, I couldn’t put them up on the list. Nevertheless, if you go to any of these cities, be sure to throng the streets, there’s nothing like a good dose of authentic U.P. ke paani batashe.

Sources: NDTV FOOD, and various others.

Most of the images used are for representational purposes only.

Cover Image Source