A snack that the crowd relishes

Street food vendors in city serve the crispy pani puri in a different style compared to other cities like Hyderabad. Instead of using their hands, they serve platefuls of the snack and offer a spoon

Women eat pani puri at at Brundavan Colony in Vijayawada on Monday. Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar

The bond of the local crowd with pani puri (golgappa) is firm and ever-increasing.

Street-food vendors in the city serve the crispy pani puri in a different style compared to other cities like Hyderabad. Instead of using their hands , they serve platefuls of the snack and offer a spoon. In Hyderabad, the server and the person eating almost vie with each other in speed. The hands of pani puri bhaiyya move at a lightning speed and the foodie at the other end of the plate matches his speed. “Here people don’t like it if we dip hands in the masala pani. They want it to be served with spoon. We respect the sentiments of our customers,” says K. Rajesh Kumar, a pani puri vendor.

The snack is usually served one by one in a disposable plate with sliced onions facilitating customers to crunch it at one go. And the serving spree does not stop until the customer asks for it. In the city, vendors offer a plateful of pani puri in hot and sweet flavours.

Those fond of chat items usually do not stop with one plate. “We rarely find customers who don’t opt for second plate. Since each plate costs only Rs.20, people happily go for a second serving,” says P. Nageswara Rao, a vendor at Brindavan Colony on Bandar Road. The masala pani that fills the puri has several ingredients in it. “Coriander and mint leaves and tamarind paste along with ‘biryani masala’ is the secret recipe of every vendor,” he adds.

Connoisseurs also have the option of savouring sweet ‘pani-puri’ offered with honey for Rs.25 per plate.

Mr. Rao has been in this business for the last five years. He says the craze for this mouth-watering snack has been on the rise with people from all walks of life and of all age groups from Brindavan Colony, Gayatrinagar and RTC bus terminal at Autonagar relishing this snack regularly.He prepares at least 3,600 pani puris everyday and serves till 9 p.m. At the end of the day, he takes home a profit of Rs.400. Small in size but this yummy chat item is a rage, especially among college crowd, says Naveen Kumar, a college student.