Fusion food is having a major moment, with chefs and foodies constantly pushing the boundaries by combining flavors and ingredients to reinvent classic dishes. One such experiment that recently went viral was a new twist to India’s all-time favorite street snack: Pani Puri (also known as Golgappa or Puchka, depending on where you are). Gives. Typically, this crispy snack is filled with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, onions and spices, and served with spicy tamarind or mint flavored water. But in this viral clip, the ordinary pani puri has been topped with something completely unexpected – ants from Chhattisgarh! Yep, you read that right.
This dish, which also includes Thai heirloom tomatoes, fermented beans and coconut water, is the brainchild of three renowned chefs: India’s Varun along with Totlani, Thailand’s Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajaon and Dej Kewkacha. This adventurous culinary experiment can be found at Mask, a fine dining restaurant in Mumbai that is all about ingredient-based cuisine.
Also read: Odisha’s unique red ant chutney given Geographical Indication (GI) tag
In the caption of the video, Varun Totlani wrote, “Thai curry meets pani puri. It was so fun to reunite with Chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajon and Chef Dez Kewkacha in Bangkok for the Mask Restaurant collaboration at Le Du Restaurant.” “We’ve brought the best of both worlds in this Pani Puri. The Puri is from India, the stuffing is made with Thai traditional tomatoes and fermented beans, and the water is made with coconut milk with lots of aroma. Chhattisgarh over ants The sizzling fire ants are thrown in. The perfect crossover between India and Thailand.”
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A post shared by Varun Totlani (@varuntotlani)
Also read: Viral Video: Blogger tastes ant chutney in Chhattisgarh, Internet divided
The video has already been viewed 73.4K times, with many people liking the India-Thailand mix.
One person commented, “Best.”
Another exclaimed, “Umm, it’s anti-arresting!”
“Food tonight – can’t wait,” one excited fan said.
Of course, not everyone agrees with this idea.
One user said, ‘No, thanks.’
Another wrote, “Why, why, why!!! Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!”
A third person said, “Pani Puri is an emotion for Indians; don’t waste it. TQ!”
What do you think about this fusion? Share your thoughts in the comments!
