I absolutely adore π₯ππ£π π₯πͺπ§π after having them for the first time in Bangalore about 20 years ago. The crisp hollow, round pastry shells, the savoury, spiced potatoes, onions, the tiny balls of ππ€π€π£ππ (made from chickpea flour), and the all-important spiced, sour-sweet liquid to be poured into the pastry shells.
I found some of the best π₯ππ£π π₯πͺπ§ππ¨ in Mumbai, and also in Delhi, where they are sometimes called ππ€π‘πππ₯π₯π. Indian Accent of Delhi, often rated the best restaurant in India, has a version with vodka-spiked liquid. I was told by the bartender there that the practice actually originated from the street version often consumed by the working-class, where toddy was added to the liquid for added kick.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh, there is a heavier version called ππͺπππ π. The principle and main components remain the same: round, hollow balls with a crispy exterior, spiced carb-onion filling, filled up with a spiced, sour-sweet liquid.
There is only one way to eat a π₯ππ£π π₯πͺπ§π - you have to pop the whole ping pong-sized pastry ball into your mouth. As you bite down on the tiny globe of deliciousness, you will experience a satisfactory crunch as the fragile ball shatters, and a rush of cool, sour-sweet liquid fills your mouth. You then taste the spiced, cooked potatoes, the astringent sting of chopped sweet onions, the dull embrace from the ππ’πππ€π€π§ (dried mango powder), the cool liquid with tamarind-sourness and jaggery-sweetness holds them all together. Then youβll catch a hint of the masala spices, and the fragrance from the coriander leaves.
A good π₯ππ£π π₯πͺπ§π awakes all the senses in your mouth and palate. Your taste-buds will come alive!
This morning, I was at the Voyage India arts & crafts fair at 1st Avenue when I came across DβChat Masala, manned by two strikingly-beautiful sisters, Mahalakshmi and Nivitha. They concocted the freshest, tastiest π₯ππ£π π₯πͺπ§π Iβd had in a long time!
