Food Fusion: Pani Puri transformed with Thai ingredients and Ant garnish
Food Fusion: Pani Puri transformed with Thai ingredients and Ant garnish
Pani puri is a cherished street food in India, adored for a variety of reasons. Although regional variations are available, news about an entirely different variety is surfacing over the internet.
India’s traditional favorite pani puri is now available in an entirely different flavour. A social media video highlights an intriguing variation of this cherished dish, featuring Indian and international chefs who incorporate an unexpected ingredient—red ants, which are considered a delicacy in certain regions of India. The post has garnered more than 65,000 views and has received close to 1,000 likes. This engagement has encouraged a diverse range of comments from users.
Chef Varun Totlani posted a video on Instagram stating, “Thai curry meets Pani Puri,” while tagging his collaborators involved in creating the pani puri and other culinary delights.
“We brought the best of both worlds to this Pani Puri. The puri is from India, the stuffing is Thai heirloom tomatoes and fermented beans, and the pani is coconut milk with tons of aromatics. Topped with tangy fire ants from Chattisgarh,” he wrote with the post.
The video shows the process of filling puris with a variety of ingredients, such as tomatoes. Instead of the typical tamarind or mint water, coconut milk is used, and a unique garnish of a few ants is included.
This innovative dish could evoke memories of Kai Chutney, a traditional Odisha delicacy that recently earned the esteemed Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is said to be rich in zinc, protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin B-12, contributing to healthy brain development.
However, the video was received with mostly negative comments from netizens. Many comments reflected how pani puri was ruined in the process.
“No thank you,” said an Instagram user. Another said, “Pani puri is an emotion for Indians, don’t ruin it.” A third conveyed, “Umm that’s Ant-eresting!
There are many who liked the video and appreciated the effort. One comment said, “Would love to try.”
