Life style

Pop crackle, gulp and gasp

Published

3 years ago

2023/02/5

Pani Puri: India’s favourite street food now available in Sri Lanka

Pani puri occupies a special place in Indian hearts and stomachs, so it’s no wonder that the treat has been one of the country’s most poplar street snacks

On any normal evening in India, in the bustling markets and noisy main streets of big cities and small towns alike, there is a familiar sight: the corner pani puri wala (seller), surrounded by a gaggle of eager customers.

His hands seem to fly as they dip the puris (fried discs of dough) into various bowls of fillings and chutneys and passes them out to people waiting impatiently. The vendor’s customer base stretches across age groups and social strata, with people stepping out of plush cars or families walking over from their homes. For the love of pani puri, and indeed of all chaat (fried snacks), unites Indians in a way few other things do.

Chaat is a catchall word – from chaatna, meaning “to lick” – that covers a wide range of street snacks, where different ingredients are usually tossed together to create a sucker punch of tastes and textures. India loves these small, satisfying snacks because they fill the perfect hunger moment, that is to say early evening, when lunch is a distant memory and dinner has yet to be cooked. And of all chaat, pani puri occupies a special place in Indian hearts and stomachs.

At first glance, pani puri seems like nothing special. The word itself is a combination of pani (water, which in this case, refers to the diluted chutneys) and puri (the fried discs of dough). The crisp, thin puri, which is about the size of a circle made by your forefinger touching your thumb, puffs up upon frying to create a hollow core.

However, eating a pani puri requires much attention and no small amount of skill: poke a hole on the surface of the puri with your forefinger, load it up with your chosen filling – such as mashed potato, healthy sprouts, finely chopped onions or mushy peas – and then dunk the whole thing into sweet-and-sour tamarind and spicy green chutney waters (both often kept iced) in quick succession. Finally, pop the whole package into your mouth and wait for the explosion of flavours, as the puri – ever so slightly soggy by then – crumbles inside your mouth with the sauces flowing out, all while filling the soul and clearing the sinuses at the same time.

Indeed, to eat pani puri is to be prepared for liquid dribbling down the sides of your mouth and tears streaming out of your eyes – an experience that is far more pleasurable than it might sound.

For those few moments, everything feels alright

It is no wonder that the pani puri is one of the street snacks that many indians love. Many home cooks have taken to recreating some of the magic at home, partly to satisfy chaat pangs and partly to feel the freedom of being able to walk the streets again

As education advisor Meeta Sengupta from Delhi exclaimed over email, “Pani puri is pure fun! Pop, crackle, gulp and gasp.”

Mumbai journalist Karishma Upadhya explained, “I think my craving came from a place of wanting something that made us feel happy and ‘normal’. When everything around is in such flux, it’s reassuring when you taste something that your mouth and mind instinctively know. When you put that pani puri in your mouth, you know you’ll get the perfect mix of cold, spicy, tart, sweet and crunchy. And, for those few moments, everything feels alright.”

While some brave cooks such as food blogger Amrita Kaur are making puri from scratch by kneading the dough to a perfect tight consistency, rolling out dozens of small discs, frying them in batches and preparing the fillings – most have used store-bought puris, purchasing them during careful grocery runs or utilising their pantry stocks.

There are many stories about the origins of pani puri. Culinary anthropologist Dr Kurush Dalal says that chaat (likely a predecessor of the modern pani puri) was first created in what is now the northern Indian region of Uttar Pradesh around the time of Emperor Shah Jahan’s rule in the late 17th Century. According to Dalal, royal doctors advised the general population to consume more fried and spicy snacks (and yoghurt) to balance the alkaline quality of the water from the Yamuna River, on the banks of which his new capital, Old Delhi, was built. The puri, which was to serve as “bite-sized containers of the chaat masala” (with fillings such as potato mash), spread to the rest of the country through migrant workers who moved to large cities like Mumbai and Delhi in the last century.

Like the most sublime chaats, pani puri is best enjoyed on the streets. And while upscale restaurants have started serving it in the last few years – with modern twists such as replacing the chutneys with spiced vodka shots and, shudder, guacamole fillings – their offerings rarely hit the spot. This is partly because street vendors know the palate of their customers and tailor each pani puri order accordingly – “Only the sweet-and-sour tamarind chutney”, “No sprouts please”, “Pile on the spice” – and each claims to have their own secret mixes of fillings and flavourings.

Food writer Anubhuti Krishna, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, loves pani puri but has not attempted to make it at home because, as she says, “I know I cannot replicate my favourite flavours at home, and they are sacrosanct for us UPwalas [people from Uttar Pradesh].”

Another reason could be that pani puri is best (or perhaps only) eaten by hand; there is no room for forks or finesse here. Kalyan Karmakar, culinary consultant and author of The Travelling Belly, a book on Indian street foods, describes eating pani puri as a “foodie adventure sport”, adding that “restaurants cannot recreate the thrill of standing on the pavement, unperturbed by people jostling past. Your eyes are focused on the pani puri wala. You have to be ready to pop it in [your mouth] when your turn comes.”

And even though pani puri is a perennial favourite across the country, it is by no means standardised or even similar everywhere. In fact, the name itself differs by place: pani puri is a Mumbai term, whereas in Delhi it is known as golgappa. In Kolkata, it goes by the name of puchka, and in Uttar Pradesh, it’s pani ke patashe (or batashe). The difference comes from the puri base ingredient – semolina, whole wheat or refined flour – as well as the fillings. And like with politics and cricket leagues, Indians like to argue about which kind is the best, and in each town, which pani puri wala makes it the most chatpata (lip-smacking).

Sengupta, who uses a ready-to-fry puri (a recent innovation found in stores), told me about her own Bengali-Punjabi household where the pani is “gingery sweet, with loads of hing (asafoetida) and pudina (mint)” and with “layered textures”. And Krishna, while noting that such food fights are silly, also adds that the Lucknow variety is her preferred version “because of how the softness and blandness of the matar (mashed peas) contrasts with the spicy water and the crisp and khasta (flaky) batasha.”

“It is [an] explosion in the mouth, yet it is soul food,” Sengupta said wistfully, perhaps summing up what millions of us Indians think of pani puri. – BBC

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Life style

Ministry of Brands: Where style meets statement

Published

1 day ago

2026/03/1

Thilina Walpola

From left: Aamir Akbarally, Farida Akbarally, Ghazi Hammoud, Tyeab Akbarally and Ramzey Hammoud officially opening Ministry of Brands at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The City of Colombo has welcomed a bold new entrant to its retail landscape. Ministry of Brands – a concept that feels less like a fashion statement. Set along the very buzzing stretch of Vajira Road, Ministry of Brands arrives with a promise that instantly captures the imagination: – global luxury redefined for the Sri Lankan shopper. From the structured elegance of Gucci to the timeless sophstication of Ralph Laurent and modern glamour of Michael Kors, the store looks a curated passport to the world’s most desired brands.

Backed by the legacy and strength of Akbar Brothers, this venture singals a confident step forward for Sri Lanka’s retail evolution.

Ministry of Brands (MoB), Sri Lanka’s first off-price retailer, officially opened its doors to the public, marking a new era in the country’s retail landscape.

The 10,000 sq. ft. flagship store, located at Vajira Road, R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 4, welcomed guests to an exclusive preview recently, offering a first look at its expansive collection of authentic global luxury and premium brands at discounts of up to 90 percent off original retail prices.

Backed by Akbar Brothers, Ministry of Brands introduces the globally established off-price retail model to Sri Lanka and the wider South Asian region. The concept enables customers to purchase genuine designer and brand-name products at significantly reduced prices, with new pieces landing and replenishing in store daily, offering a dynamic “treasure-hunt” shopping experience and a constantly changing selection.

Off-price retail remains one of the fastest-growing global retail segments, enabling fashion houses to manage excess inventory while responsibly expanding access to premium products.

: Director of Mob, Aamir Akbarally; Chairman of Akbar Brothers, Tyeab Akbarally and Chairman of Mob, Hussain Akbarally

: Where style meets statement

: Fashion experience

: New chapter in luxury retail

: Curated elegance

: Fashion finds its finest expression

Offering more than 2,000 international brands sourced from Europe and the United States, the store features a wide range of categories, including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, handbags, accessories, performance wear and homeware. Renowned global labels available at M.O.B include Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, DKNY, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Farm Rio, Staud, Alice + Olivia, Burberry, Rag & Bone, Lacoste, Puma, UGG, HOKA, Brooks and Air Jordan, among many others.

Commenting on the launch, Director Aamir Akbarally stated: “We are very excited to finally make authentic global luxury and premium brands more accessible and affordable to Sri Lankans. Ministry of Brands signals the beginning of a new era in Sri Lanka’s retail sector. The response so far has been fantastic, as a family-owned business, we shall always be committed to delivering genuine value, transparency and a world-class shopping experience built on longstanding values of integrity, quality and trust.”

Director Ramzey Hammoud added: “Off-price retail is globally recognised for its ability to combine value with sustainability. Our customers can now shop designer brands locally at the best possible prices, while enjoying a constantly evolving selection of products that makes every visit unique.”

Following its Colombo flagship launch, Ministry of Brands is set to open its second location at One Galle Face Mall in March 2026. Ministry of Brands is open from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm every day. For more information, visit www.ministryofbrands.com.

By Zanita Careem

Life style

On His Birthday, The Man Who Gave Sri Lanka’s Silent Creatures a Voice

Published

1 day ago

2026/03/1

Thilina Walpola

Puntius kelumi. Named in recognition of Kelum's invaluable contribution to ichthyology.

On a quiet morning, as Dr. Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi celebrates another year of life, it is not difficult to imagine him where he has always belonged—somewhere between forest and memory, between bone and history, between the living and the extinct.

For more than 25 years, he has shared his knowledge generously with the Sunday Island, often referring to it with unmistakable affection as his favourite newspaper. To generations of readers, he has been more than a scientist.

He has been an interpreter of the natural world, a man who helped Sri Lanka see itself more clearly.

His life’s work has unfolded not in pursuit of recognition, but in pursuit of truth.

Sri Lanka, an island small in size but vast in biological richness, holds within its forests and streams a remarkable concentration of life. Yet, for much of the 20th century, many of its smallest and most fragile creatures lived and vanished without scientific record.

The pioneering zoological work of P.E.P. Deraniyagala had once drawn the world’s attention to the island, but the decades that followed saw fewer explorers willing to continue that difficult journey of discovery.

It was into that silence that Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi quietly stepped.

His fascination with animals began in childhood, when he joined the Young Zoologists’ Association at the Dehiwala Zoo. It was there, among cages and curiosity, that he first learned the discipline of observation. He was not content simply to see. He wanted to understand.

: Museum study led by Kelum

: Field inspection

That desire would shape his destiny.

While still young, he was invited to assist researchers in identifying animal bones recovered during archaeological excavations. It was a rare responsibility, and he approached it with uncommon seriousness. Where others saw fragments, he saw identity. Where others saw remains, he saw continuity.

Bones became his language.

In the early 1990s, his meeting with conservationist and taxonomist Rohan Pethiyagoda marked a turning point—not just in his life, but in Sri Lanka’s scientific history. Together, they helped build the Wildlife Heritage Trust, an institution dedicated to uncovering the island’s hidden biodiversity.

At the time, many of Sri Lanka’s amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals remained scientifically invisible. They existed in forests and streams, unnamed and unrecognised.

Dr. Manamendra-Arachchi set out to change that.

His search took him across continents to the great natural history museums of Britain, France, India, and Singapore. There, in quiet halls filled with preserved specimens, he compared bones and bodies, carefully tracing the identity of species across time and geography. It was meticulous, patient work—the work of someone who understood that discovery begins with attention.

In 1996, he co-authored a landmark study on Sri Lanka’s amphibians, reshaping scientific understanding of these delicate creatures. But it was in 2005 that his work would astonish the global scientific community.

In a single paper, he and his colleagues described 27 new species of shrub frogs—an extraordinary achievement that revealed Sri Lanka as one of the world’s most important centres of amphibian diversity. Scientists around the world turned their attention to the island, newly aware of the richness that had long remained hidden.

Through his work, Sri Lanka’s forests began to speak.

Yet Dr. Manamendra-Arachchi understood that science must not remain confined to laboratories or journals. It must belong to people. In 2007, he published a book on Sri Lanka’s amphibians in Sinhala, opening the doors of knowledge to young students across the country. For many, it became a first step into scientific discovery.

He did not merely document biodiversity. He inspired those who would protect it.

Sri Lanka amphibian hot spot -The Island exclusively reported

His work extended beyond living species into deep time itself. Through the study of fossil remains found in Sri Lanka’s ancient gem-bearing gravels, he reconstructed animals that had vanished thousands of years ago. With scientific precision and artistic insight, he brought extinct creatures back into human understanding.

He reminded us that Sri Lanka’s story is older than memory.

Those who know him personally speak of his remarkable ability to connect science with life. He can move effortlessly from discussing frog evolution to ancient civilisations, from fossil anatomy to art and philosophy. His lectures are filled not only with knowledge, but with wonder.

He is, above all, a teacher.

In recognition of his immense contributions, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2022. Species have been named in his honour, ensuring his legacy will remain permanently embedded in the natural world he helped reveal.

Yet he remains unchanged—quiet, thoughtful, and deeply committed to discovery.

Even today, he continues his work, guiding students, advising researchers, and sharing his knowledge with the public.

His curiosity remains undiminished, his purpose undisturbed by time.

On his birthday (Feb 16) it is fitting that Sri Lanka pauses to reflect on his extraordinary journey.

For he did more than study animals.

He gave identity to the unnamed.

He gave meaning to the forgotten.

He gave Sri Lanka a deeper understanding of itself.

And in forests where bones still lie hidden beneath fallen leaves, waiting patiently for someone to listen, Dr. Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi continues to hear their stories.

By Ifham Nizam

Life style

Gift of life: Honouring the heroes behind every kidney transplant

Published

1 day ago

2026/03/1

Thilina Walpola

Moment of gratitude and hope as medical professionals gather to honour the gift of life through organ donation

At the core of Jayewardene Hospital is the Organ Transplant Unit. For hundreds of patients suffering from end stage organ failure, the hospital has become a place of renewed possibility. Many arrive after years of dialysis, physical exhaustion and emotional strain. Through transplants they are given not extended life but return to normaly For the doctors each transplant is a responsibility. For the recipients it is a new beginning. And for donor families it is a way for love to endure beyond loss.

The Organ Donation Day at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital unfolded as a deeply moving tribute to life, loss and the extraordinary courages that connects the two. Bringing together donor families, medical professionals and survivors whose lives have been transformed, the event was not merely ceremonial but it was profoundly humane.

From the very beginning, there was a quiet stillness, it was the kind of stillness that carried a Semotion unspoken yet deeply felt.

Families walked in with holding memories and a strength that only those who have lived and lost can truly understand. Yet beneath the grief there was something else. There was purpose, because here loved ones were not only remembered, but celebrated for the lives they continue to hold.

At the heart of all, stood doctors and the transplanted teams, the quiet bridge between lost and life. For them organ donation is not simply clinical, it is deeply personal. They carry the weight and hope often with the same moment.

: A team bound by purpose-saving lives

One of the most poignant moments of the ceremony was the presentation of white roses to the families of the donors.

Simple but pure and deeply symbolic, each white rose represented remembrance, peace and the enduring hearts of life given selflessly. As each flower was handed over, there were tears but also quiet smiles.

It was a kind gesture that said what words often cannot, and never forgotten. The lighting of the traditional oil lamp further deepend the emotion of the day. Each flame symoblised a life carried forward ,a reminder that even in loss, there is light.

Dr Niroshan Seneviratne,visionary behind Jayewardene Hospital transplant surgery

This ceremony was organised by the Organ Donation and Transplantation Trust Fund based at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital.

This fund was co-founded by Dr. Niroshan Seneviratne, Consultant Urogolist and Transplant Surgeon Dr. Chamila Pilimatalawwe Consultant Anaesiologist and Dr. Chintana Galphitiyawa Consultant Nephrologist. The Chief Guest was Ven. Professor Medgampitiye Wijithadhamma, Guest of honour.was Peter D’Almeida The special guest was Dr. Hansaka Wijemanu ,Deputy Minister of Health. Other special included Dr. Dammika Alahpperuma, MP Dewanande sSuraweera ,Chairman of the hospital Dr Thamara Kalubowila, Director of the hospital Dr Dhammika Alahahaperuma, Sandya Tennekoon and Kareem Amath, Board of Trustee member, Dr Gamini Samarasekera, Auditor Dr Chanaka Abeyratne, consultant Nephrologist

As the proceedings began, the families stood motionless, united by circumstances but compassion and shared humanity. Throughtout the ceremony one message resonated deeply, Organ Donation is not about statistics or procedures it is about people. It is about finding meaning even in the most difficult goodbyes. Among the many voices, the transplant surgeon Dr. Niroshan Seneviratne, a name deeply respected in the country’s transplant landscape, spoke with quiet conviction .Dr. Seneviratne reflected on the journey of organ transplantation in Sri Lanka. Every donar is a hero he emphasised, his voice steady yet filled with emotion “Behind every transplant is a family that chose to give life in their darkest hour.”

Sri Lanka’s organ transplant programmes has steadily grown over the years, particularly in Kidney transplants, offering hope to thousands of chronic renal diseases. This day also honoured the tireless medical teams working behind the screen, surgeons, ICU staff volunteers. Their work often unseen, is nothing short of extraordinary. Organ Transplant Day is not just a date on the calender. It is a celebration of life, of giving, and of the extraordinary power of human kindness.