Panipuri is not just a street food; it is an emotion wrapped in small, crispy balls, spiced with mashed potatoes, and dunked in super spicy and tangy water. This beloved snack often raises hygiene concerns regarding India's street foods. In an unfortunate incident, the most loved street food has once again raised concerns, as a woman recently found a piece of bone in her panipuri on Friday in Ahmedabad.
Incident Details
According to reports, a panipuri stall outside the Ranip bus terminal was removed by civic authorities after a video went viral showing a woman discovering a bone in her panipuri. The woman was eating panipuri with her mother at the Krishna Bhel Pakodi stall when she found the bone in one of her puris. When she complained, the vendor reportedly dismissed the object as a piece of wood. The woman then recorded a video and shared it on social media, prompting Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's health officials to inspect and remove the stall. Reportedly, the victim had never eaten non-vegetarian food in her life.
5 Measures to Take While Eating Panipuri on the Street
Choose a Hygienic Stall
The first and foremost thing to do is select a clean and hygienic food stall. As a customer, you should observe whether the vendor keeps the surroundings clean and covers the ingredients properly. If you find anything unhygienic or unkempt, highlight it and avoid eating at such stalls.
Eat Freshly Prepared Food
Make sure the vendor breaks fresh puris for you and also makes fresh aloo masala before serving. Food items left uncovered for a long time may collect dust and attract flies, which can spread germs. If the vendor offers the same, skip it completely. Eating fresh panipuri reduces the chances of contamination.
Personal Hygiene
When it comes to dishes like panipuri, where the vendor uses their hands to prepare the dish, it is important to cross-check the vendor's personal hygiene. Check that they use fresh and clean gloves for serving. If the gloves are worn out, ensure they wash their hands and use a new pair. As a customer, you should also wash or sanitize your hands before eating. Since panipuri is usually eaten with hands, maintaining personal hygiene is very important to prevent infections and maintain good health.
Avoid Overeating
At the end of the day, it is a deep-fried dish with lots of spices. It is advisable not to overeat panipuri from roadside vendors. If you have a sensitive stomach, be extra careful while consuming street food.
Check the Quality of Water
The most sensitive aspect of eating panipuri on the streets is the quality of the water. Check and smell the water being used for preparing the spicy pani. Contaminated water can carry harmful germs and bacteria that may cause diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, and food poisoning. It is better to buy panipuri from stalls that use filtered or packaged water, or you can buy puris from a stall and prepare pani at home.
8 Types of Pani You Can Make at Home
Spicy Mint
Although mint-flavored water is available across golgappa stalls, spicy mint is yet to hit the taste buds. To make it at home, add some fresh mint, coriander, cut-up chilies, black salt, and some sugar to water, mix well, and enjoy.
Beetroot Kanji
Beetroot kanji is a winter favorite and can be enjoyed as golgappa water too. Although it takes time to prepare, your friends will love it. Add black carrots, beetroot, white mustard, salt, and hing to water, let it ferment in the sun for 5 days, and voila.
Pineapple Ginger
Give the golgappa water a tropical zest with pineapple and ginger. Cut up small pineapple cubes and ginger slices, add them to water with black pepper and lemon juice. Also add some ginger and pineapple juice for extra flavor.
Rose and Lemon
If you love floral and citrus flavors, the rose and lemon combo will blow your mind. Add some lemon juice, cleaned rose petals, a dash of honey, and salt to water, let it steep for a few hours, chill, and then add to the golgappas.
Raw Mango
Popular as aam panna paani, raw mango water can be made by mixing raw mango pulp with mint, black salt, roasted jeera, and green chilies in water. This one is best served chilled.
Orange Tadka
Another great fruit-citrus flavored water is orange tadka. Squeeze fresh orange juice and mix in some black salt, lemon juice, and a bit of chili. Mix well, add some sugar, and chill before serving.
Rajasthani Kanji
Rajasthani kanji also makes great golgappa water, but you need to start preparing days before the party. It is made with water, white mustard seeds, black salt, red chili, ginger, and some sugar.
Khatta Meetha Anar
Sweet and sour pomegranate juice mixed with some chaat masala, black salt, and lemon makes another great paani for golgappa. The deep red color makes it super appetizing, and when served chilled, it is super refreshing.
