Chaat is avoided in many diets these days but it was also considered a form of a special diet to help the body's immunity in older times. Our body needs spices of many kinds, especially in the times when seasons change. Having them in their natural form wasn’t easy and that is why a meal with tiny portions was made called chaat. It is also said that the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jehan, came to Delhi after it had become the capital of India, could not digest river Yamuna’s water and got ill. That is when he was advised to consume food prepared with lots of spices and ghee to overcome his illness and was told to keep small portions in mind.

Keeping Indians away from their chaat is no less than a crime but in desperate times like these where staying in is more of a necessity than a choice, we can’t do anything. Right? Wrong! Of course, we can do so much with the time and chaat cravings we have. So what if you cannot meet your ‘Golgappe wale bhaiya?’ We will help you get your Golgappa stall at your home with this easy and delicious Golgappa recipe that you might want to cook them all by yourself from the next time.

Take 2 cups of sooji (semolina) with 1 cup of maida or all purpose flour, salt to taste and warm water. Mix well and knead a stiff dough and check by pressing in a finger. If the dough is rising back slowly, that would mean it is ready. Take a wet muslin cloth and cover this dough and keep aside for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, you can get your khatta paani ready. Now that the dough is well-rested, take some dough balls out and roll them thin on a flat surface. With the help of a cutter with 1 ½ inch of diameter, cut out small pooris and fry them in hot oil on medium flame until golden and crisp. Keep covering the cut-out pooris.

Take 2 cups of mint leaves, 1-inch of ginger, 1 cup coriander leaves, ½ cup jaggery, ½ cup ice and 1 cup of water. Blend all these ingredients and take out in a bowl. Add 2 more cups of water to this bowl along with 1 tsp of rock salt, 1 tbsp of cumin powder and 1 ½ tsp of chaat masala. Give it a good mix and strain through a strainer, keep it aside. Once everything is ready, add 1 tbsp of tamarind paste or tamarind induced water to this bowl. Add some boondi on top and your water is ready to be filled in Gol Gappe.

Take one large boiled potato in a bowl and mash it with your hand. Add 1 tsp of jeera powder, 1 pinch black salt, ½ cup boiled white peas, 1 tsp of chaat masala, red chilli powder according to your preference. You can add or avoid 1 onion to the masala filling.

Serve fresh Golgappas with this delicious filling and you can also add some ‘meethi chutney’ or sweet sauce by boiling 1 cup water and adding ½ cup tamarind and ½ cup jaggery in it. Season this chutney with some black salt and red chilli powder.

• Let the dough rest otherwise the pooris of the pani poori will not rise.
• Do not shy away from adding mint to your khatta paani. The colour might darken but mint also leaves a beautiful flavour.
• It is important to keep covering the cut-out pooris, otherwise, a skin can form on them and they will not take the desired shape.
• Add the tamarind paste at the last minute to save the water from blackening too much.