Humid Streets, Crowded Shops, Aromatic Eats

I stand on the side of a busy road, the rikshaws are rushing past me in frantic ways. The summer of Punjab is humid and hot, I see a family standing next to me, the father holding the plate of Gol Gappe, while the mother and kids indulge in the savoury treat. Mt grandpa is bargaining with the street vendor, I assume fifty rupees for a plate is far too much, the humid street has an aroma which I could never forget. The cardamom and clove dance as the hidden notes of fennel roam the crowded street. My grandpa, after a couple of rounds of bargaining finally hands me my first plate of Gol Gappe. Hollow, round semolina puffed into a ball, poked at the top to fill the cavity with warm potatoes and sweet tamarind sauce. The savoury spicy water composed of cumin, chillies, and mint filled the balls. I saw the family next to me, devour a ball in one bite, I attempted to do the same and the water came crashing down my face, the chillies, in particular, were not fun.

This was my first encounter with the beloved Indian Gol Gappe. My parents had immigrated from India to Canada, with a dream that many immigrants have, a better life. A better life not just for them but for their kids, who would no longer be confined to the limited opportunities that they grew up with. This meant leaving their family, friends, and memories behind for a foreign land. However, my parents found comfort in the food to keep India alive within them. I grew up in a land that was so distant from where my roots are, that oftentimes then not, I found myself in a place where I could not tell who I was. I was not Canadian because the environment, culture and language at home were a contrast to the life I had at school. Being often embarrassed by the Indian food that my mom packed, I begging my mom at the grocery store for pizza bites. This changed, however, in 2015 my parents took me and my brother for our first trip to India. I had not seen my grandparents in so long that I feared they would not connect with me. They were in fact wonderful, the love they gave was immeasurable. We spent our days going to various restaurants and small businesses trying all sorts of Indian street foods. However one dish blew me away, the glorious Gol Gappe, we had gone to a small street-side shop, the puffs were filled with savoury water which would burst in your mouth the moment you closed your mouth. The intense flavour of cumin and mint would dance in your tongue until the chillies kicked in leaving with a slight buzz. My grandparents and I spent the rest of our days roaming the streets of my ancestors, smelling the aromas and of course waiting in lines to get our hands on a plate of Gol Gappe.

The connection that this little dish brought between me and my grandparents was unimaginable. The difference of generations, language, culture and thinking seized in front of a small plate of Gol Gappe, worth 89 cents. Leaving India ripped my heart, I was no longer able to hold the old yet comforting hands of my grandparents, indulge in their constant laughter and most of all roam the streets salivating miles before we reached the street shop. When I returned home, I missed my time there, I missed them. Therefore I decided one day, to get up and make my own Gol Gappe at home. I called my aunt in India and asked her for the Gol Gappe recipe. That day I spent the day, kneading the dough for the puffed balls, which involved mixing

One Cup of Semolina

A teaspoon of salt

A tablespoon of oil

Water

Until a firm dough was created. I kept the dough aside for a couple of hours to chill, I then made my spicy potatoes, which had

2 Russell potatoes

A tablespoon of salt

2 green chillies

A tablespoon of ginger and coriander powder

A cup of cilantro

One diced onion

This mixture was mixed until the potatoes and spices were evenly mixed. The next component was the tamarind sauce, which involved

Tamarind pulp from 5 tamarinds

2 cups of water

1 tablespoon of dried mango powder

1 tablespoon of jaggery

I added these ingredients to a blender and blended them into a soup consistently. The mixture was then transported to a saucepan where the mixture was simmered into a thick sauce.

The last component was the savoury water, which involved

2 tablespoons of cumin powder

1 cup of mint

½ cup of coriander

½ tablespoon of dried mango powder

1 tablespoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of ginger powder

These ingredients were blended until the spices were no longer separating, and the oils in the spices created a thin film on the top. The water was then chilled in the refrigerator.

I assembled the puffs, by poking a little hole on the puff, adding a teaspoon of potatoes, with one teaspoon of tamarind, finishing by adding the water to the very top.

I remember how happy my parents were that day, so I decided to incorporate the flavours of this dish into our everyday life. In India, it is quite common for many to drink savoury spiced water after dinner to accelerate digestion. So my family often sips on the spiced water after dinner, to help with digestion and to occasionally relive our days in India. I honour my heritage by incorporating daily practices like food, into our lives and making sure that this culture does not die away in a foreign land but carries on in our generation.

I hope you all enjoy the recipe, and try one of India’s most loved recipes. You never know, a dish this magical could change your life in ways you never expected, I know it did for me.