Spreading joy every with every pani puri platter

I still recall my first taste of idli given by our lab cleaner, Aunty Selamah — the white, smooth, fluffy, and slightly tangy cake was unquestionably a chef’s kiss when dipped into the spicy coconut milk chutney!

Aunty Selamah, who quietly observed me eating, would give me this famous Indian breakfast food every day during our morning break. To my surprise, she would also ask for extra coconut milk chutney, as she constantly witnessed me consuming the chutney straight from the tapau plastic bag! Hahaha!

My other favourite food is vadai, a savoury, fried snack sold by a friendly Indian aunty outside our factory’s main gate starting at 4.30pm every working day.

Guess what? Aunty Selamah was also aware that I liked the soft one, which has a shape and texture of a doughnut, and not the hard kind, which I believe Sarawakians call cucur rodey. 

I also loved palkova. Every weekend, I will go to the Indian sweet shop located opposite HSBC Bank, not far from Sungai Petani Clock Tower (or, as the locals call it, Jam Besar). There were so many choices of palkova to choose from! All the sweet baked goods made me drool every time I go there.

When I got back to Kuching, I was determined to find Indian food similar to what I had in Sungai Petani, but to no avail.

Years of seeking eventually led me to a Facebook post about an Indian street snack that I had never had before, called pani puri. At the drop of a hat, I clicked the WhatsApp link to place my order. 

I immediately fell in love with this Indian cuisine. How happy my soul was to have found a similar taste after it had been gone for so long!

Uvaneswari Aripitri was the one who successfully stole my heart and tummy with her homemade pani puri.

According to the 29-year-old, who sells the famous street food during weekends, her intense craving for pani puri amid the movement control order in 2020 was the primary motivation for starting her business. 

“To find pani puri, I normally travel to Kuala Lumpur. Regretfully, the COVID-19 movement restrictions that prevent travel to other states or districts forced me to look for other ways to satisfy my craving for pani puri. 

“I decided to make it myself after browsing YouTube for recipes. Surprisingly, I was also a pretty good cook — everyone who tried my pani puri, including my family and friends, thought it was delicious and encouraged me to sell it because no one else in Kuching was selling it at the time. 

“With the help of a friend from India, who at that moment was unable to return to her home town, I managed to bring the authentic flavour of pani puri, which I slightly altered to fit and satisfy our local taste buds,” she explained. 

She claimed that making and selling pani puri, a delicacy that was previously unknown to the locals but has now gained popularity, was a gratifying accomplishment for her.  

“I think a lot of Kuchingites are still hunting for sellers who offer pani puri because they haven’t had a chance to try it for themselves.

“After attempting to make pani puri myself, which I believe was rather successful, I’ve made the decision to sell it to the public so that others can also enjoy the distinctive flavour of this Indian street snack,” said the Kuchingite.

Uvaneswari said that she always considers the feedback from her customers seriously in an effort to enhance any areas where her pani puri may be lacking.  

She said that although it is uncommon for her clients to express disapproval of the flavour of her pani puri, they frequently offer suggestions for flavouring water or fillings that they like, as well as tips on how to grow her business.

She said that due to her pani puri’s distinct flavour, her regular clients now order at least five sets every weekend.

“I will open orders two or three days in advance, and I only accept orders for 100 sets.

“I don’t want to take a lot of orders in order to maintain the quality and freshness of my pani puri,” she said.

Commenting on pani puri, Uvaneswari said her version of this street food consists of five components: puri balls, potato filling, flavoured pani (water), sweet and sour chutney, and also boondi. 

“I use potatoes, chickpeas, onions, and a few Indian spices to make the filling; gram dhall flour is used to make boondi; and tamarind paste and sugar are used to make sweet and sour chutney. 

“For flavoured water, I use fresh mint, coriander leaves, chilli, and some spices.

“Depending on the preferences and requests of the customers, I may add or alter the type of flavouring water. In addition to my best-selling mint pani, I also have guava, ginger, cumin, and garlic chilli panis available.

“Every (flavoured) water tastes different, conveys distinct feelings, and, most importantly, offers a variety of health advantages.

“And lastly, for the (puri) balls, which are made from semolina flour, I usually buy the ready-made ones.

“To me, making these four components is not difficult; it’s just a bit tedious because there is a lot of work and you have to play with various spices to produce the best flavour,” she said, adding that she would purchase fresh or dried spices and blend them herself to make sure her customers get the authentic pani puri taste.

Speaking of challenges, Uvaneswari said that the two most important ones for her were how to introduce something new (in her case, pani puri) to society as well as how to gain the public’s trust.

Finding a balance between her responsibilities and commitments to her family and her business is another issue for her.

“In my opinion, the finest method to produce high-quality cuisine with a delicious taste is to cook straight from the heart. 

“Apart from that, I think most women desire to grow personally, and as a working woman, managing the household and conducting business at the same time is not something that is simple to handle.

“In addition, making pani puri requires a lot of time-consuming components. Therefore, I am always grateful for having such supportive family and friends and being surrounded by an environment that constantly inspires me to grow as a person,” she explained. 

She said that one of her goals for the future is to create and offer more Indian street snacks to the community and raise the standard of Indian cuisine in general. 

Members of the public who have never tasted pani puri can place their order by contacting Uvaneswari at 011-31767913. 

To view various client reviews, search for the Pani Puri Kuching account on Facebook.

Oh wait, in addition to pani puri, Uvaneswari also sells papdi chaat, an Indian street snack made of potatoes, yoghurt, chutneys, and boondi.

In conjunction with the Deepavali celebration, she will cease operations this weekend and resume business the next week.

“I believe the COVID-19 pandemic has been really tough for every one of us. Even for myself, many family members, relatives, and friends are ill, and even some have passed away.

“I learned a valuable lesson from this — we should cherish the time we have together. 

“I hope this year’s festival will be as colourful as it was before the pandemic because it has been quite a dull celebration for the past few years,” she said. 

Meanwhile, to my Indian friends and families, I wish you all a peaceful and joyful Deepavali. May you be blessed with peace and happiness, and may the light of the lamps illuminate your life.

Not to forget Aunty Selamah, N. Prakash, B. Prakash, Bindusara, and Jevitha in Sungai Petani. Happy Deepavali to all of you.