Interesting
The shells are indian — called pani puri or gol gappa or fuchka/puchka depending on where in the country you are.
Clever use. The only other non-indian use of them I’ve come across was at an upscale Israeli restaurant in nyc where they filled them with creme fraiche and salmon crudo. Worked well!
Here’s an example of native use. (Bangladeshi fuchka carts are having a bit of moment in nyc if you read down that thread. In toronto, pani puri or gol gappa are more common given the North Indian population.)
