At UC San Diego, the bridge that connects students and creates community across diverse backgrounds is food. When I noticed this, I wanted to incorporate this method of bridge-building into my personal relationships. 

Pani puri, my favorite Indian dish, can be best described as a crispy puff ball filled with things like mashed potatoes, chickpeas, and spicy and sweet sauces: a flavor explosion. During cultural events such as Diwali, my family and I make pani puri together, taking the time to talk, laugh, and connect to our roots. Three of my friends, Alise, Vivian, and Summer, have been wanting to try authentic Indian street food since we were in high school. When my family decided to make pani puris on a Friday night, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to invite my friends over to do our favorite activity — eating — and for me to share a little bit of my culture with them.

So, my friends, my mom, and my aunts set up a whole pani puri station in the kitchen. With our speaker blasting R&B hits, we rolled up our sleeves and got started. Here’s how you can replicate our night for yourself:

Making the Puris
For the puri dough, the ingredients are simple:

• 1 cup semolina or farina flour — an alternative is wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• 1.5 cups club soda

The steps are as follows: 

1. Combine the ingredients and cover the mixture with a towel. Let it rest for an hour. The dough is ready once it’s not sticky.
2. Roll it into small balls, about the size of a marble.
3. Press each one in an electric tortilla maker for 15-20 seconds to flatten into a circle. 
4. Deep fry the circles in a pot of oil of your choosing — we used vegetable oil. Up to 25-30 balls can go in at once, depending on the pot size.
5. Keep flipping and moving them around until they puff up and achieve a golden brown and crispy outer coating. 

And so, we began. Summer rolled a giant dough ball her first try, and it flopped miserably, but her second one puffed up perfectly. Some puris came out flat like tortilla chips and others were super tiny, but we ate them anyway. Even without seasonings or chutneys, the puris were addictive — we ate so many that my mom and aunts warned us to stop or there wouldn’t be enough left to share. It took a lot of trial and error, but by the end, we had about 300 puris — yes, 300 because you can eat 30 in one sitting and still keep going.

Building the Pani Puri
The beauty of pani puri is that you can customize it however you like. Everyone does it differently! Here’s what my family includes in our pani puri recipe: 

• For filling, combine mashed potatoes, boiled black chickpeas, diced red onions, and Indian masala, which you can source from any Indian grocery store, for the perfect slightly spicy mixture. 
• Three chutney options: mild cilantro, sweet tamarind, and spicy red bell pepper with garlic. I buy these at the store, but you can also make them from scratch. 
• Slightly spicy mint-lime water, which you can make at home by mashing mint and lime slices into 8 cups of water. Chill before serving. 
• Thin sev, which are crunchy chickpea noodles available at any Indian grocery store. My favorite brand is Cofresh! 

To eat the pani puris, poke a nickel-sized hole in the puri and fill it with whatever your heart desires. Pro tip: I add the mint water into the hole last, right before eating, to prevent the puri from getting soggy.

My friends had a blast customizing theirs. Alise was cautious with the spicy chutney, Summer loaded hers with sev, and Vivian went for a balanced mix of everything. Soon, we were devouring puris, going back for seconds and thirds. At one point, we had a competition to see who could fit the most in their mouth; when Vivian started coughing from the spice, we dissolved into laughter. Between the dripping mint water, chutney-covered hands, and nonstop laughter, the whole night was filled with joyful chaos. 

Looking at our uniquely constructed pani puris, I was reminded of how even within cultures, there are endless variations of a single dish, which is why immersing yourself in something new is so important. My friends weren’t just enjoying the food but also bonding with my family, excited to learn about my background and culture. In sharing this tradition, we created a deeper connection. 

My friends couldn’t stop raving about the pani puris, and I sent them home with leftovers to, hopefully, share with their families. By the end of the night, we all agreed that next time we should try something new. 

Beyond the Kitchen
While making this recipe was challenging, we had so much fun learning about each other and the cultural tradition of making pani puri. For me, this wasn’t just about food. It felt like sharing a piece of my heritage — how I grew up, what family gatherings looked like, and the flavors that shaped my childhood.

At UCSD, we’re surrounded by diversity: international friends and multicultural organizations, events, and restaurants scattered across San Diego. Life is too short not to make it sweet — or spicy. This school year, I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone. Try a new dance class, eat at the restaurant you always walk past, join a new organization on campus, or even consider studying abroad. You won’t just discover new flavors, you’ll find a whole new perspective on the world.

Trying something new feeds more than your appetite — it feeds your curiosity. Enjoy!