Now, flavoured golgappas to tickle your taste buds
Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, May 8
The golgappas have been a traditional Indian fast food, for all seasons and for all reasons.
They have hit it off with people of all age-groups. The sight of the crisp, fried golgappa shell filled with tangy tamarind water or water with other flavours is enough to set the Indian palate salivating and the city has ben no exception to this.
In the city, there are many chaat joints but Pranshu Chaat Bhandar has created a special position among its competitors. Though it is unfair to compare various eating joints, this one has its own unique selling point as it serves one of the best golgappas in town.
His golgappa’s USP is ten different flavours, starting with khatta pani, pudina-flavour, hing, kali mirch, kewra, jeera, khatta-mittha, guava, apple, banana, mango and last but the best, dahi golgapas. These are smooth and sweet in flavour and the taste lasts for a long time in the mouth.
In this blistering heat, his high-demand snack is chilled filtered water mint golgappa ka pani. It’s quite an appetiser.
Ashok Kumar, owner of Pranshu Chat Bhandar, said he started the business three years back at Bhikhi in Mansa district and people really liked the flavours and it became a hit within a few days.
“After doing business for a year, they advised me to shift to Bathinda as the city is known for its food lovers. It’s been three months since I have shifted and am really surprised to see the response that I have received here,” he added.
On an average, he serves around 400 plates of golgappas in a day and charges Rs 20 per plate for six golgappas. The papri chaat and bhalla papri chaat are available here layered with sweet saunth chutney.
Half the paapris are put in a kind of mix yogurt with whipped cream, and the other half in sweet saunth and pudina chutney. A piece or two of bhalla adds to the flavour. Arranged in a tempting way, garnished with ginger, black channa and chukundar (beetroot), it is a must try snack here. Astha Gupta, who was enjoying golgappas at the joint, said she loved eating them here because of their delicious flavours. She said pudina and khatta meetha flavours were the best and you could feel the actual taste when you had it. Shikha Mahipal, another golgappa lover, said dahi golgappa was really yummy. It was basically a mix of beaten curd, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, pomegranate morsels and ginger slivers. It was filled into the golgappa shell, which made it really delicious. So, as the taste of golgappas at this joint shows signs of lingering on, the people in the city are only too eager to lap it up and savour its aftermath.
