For Priyanka Gupta, pani puri brings back memories of childhood trips to India, competing with her cousins to see who could eat the most of the beloved street food. Now, she’s sharing that experience with St. Louis families through Water Balls, a business she launched with her husband, Kevin, to make the snack easier to prepare at home.
Gupta was born in Kolkata, India, and moved to Singapore with her family as a child. Although she grew up surrounded by Singapore’s diverse food cultures, trips back to India during school holidays meant one thing in particular: visits to a favorite street food stall for pani puri.
“I’ve craved it ever since,” Gupta said.
The snack consists of crisp, hollow puri shells filled with seasoned potatoes, crunchy sev noodles and pani, a tangy, spiced water. The combination of textures and flavors makes it a favorite street food across India, where vendors often serve the bite-sized treats to customers assembled around their stalls.
Gupta’s husband discovered the appeal on his first trip to Kolkata. After hearing her talk about the snack for years, he finally got to try it himself. When the couple returned to St. Louis, they realized they wanted to enjoy it at home but struggled to find a convenient kit that included everything they needed while preserving the fresh flavors.
They decided to develop their own using Gupta’s family recipe, launching Water Balls in September 2024.
Each Pani Puri Kit includes 30 puri shells, seasoned potatoes, tamarind-cilantro pani and sev. Preparing the snack takes about five minutes, with the shells puffed in an air fryer or microwave and the remaining components assembled before serving.
Eating them is part of the fun. Diners poke a small hole in each shell, add the potato filling and sev, pour in the pani and eat the entire thing in one bite.
The result is a crunchy shell followed by a burst of tangy, spiced water, an experience Gupta hopes will encourage people to gather around the table and try something new.
“That’s where the magic happens,” she said. “Before you know it, everyone’s laughing, reaching for another, and competing to see who can eat the most!”
Water Balls expanded its lineup three months after launching with Pandan Puri, a dessert inspired by the Southeast Asian flavors Gupta grew up enjoying in Singapore.
The sweet version pairs fragrant pandan custard with chocolate, caramel and coconut inside crunchy puri shells. The idea came in part from a trip to Bali, where Gupta sought out a restaurant serving a particular dessert she wanted her husband to experience.
The two products reflect different parts of her culinary background. Pani Puri connects her to her Indian roots, while Pandan Puri draws on the flavors of Southeast Asia.
“While Pani Puri celebrates my Indian roots, Pandan Puri brings together the Southeast Asian flavors I grew up loving,” Gupta said. “They might be a discovery for someone else, but to me, they taste like home.”
With Diwali approaching, Gupta sees an opportunity to introduce more St. Louisans to pani puri and the communal experience of preparing and eating it together. The Hindu festival, which celebrates light and togetherness, often brings families and friends together over food. Although pani puri isn’t specifically a Diwali dish, its hands-on preparation makes it a natural fit for a festive gathering.
“I love the idea that a family here in St. Louis might try pani puri for the first time this Diwali and discover something they all enjoy making together,” Gupta said.
That spirit of discovery has also shaped the business’s presence at local events. Water Balls has introduced its kits to customers at farmers markets, the St. Louis Vegan Festival, the St. Charles International Food Festival and Harvest Fest, where the couple recently participated as vendors.
One of Gupta’s favorite moments is watching children try the food and then persuade their parents to give it a chance too. She hopes to make unfamiliar cuisines feel approachable rather than intimidating, giving families a way to explore new flavors without leaving home.
Since its launch, Water Balls has expanded beyond its own website to national platforms including Uncommon Goods and Here Here Market. Gupta and her husband plan to grow the product lineup and reach more customers, with an eye toward the many street foods and regional specialties that remain unfamiliar to much of the country.
“There’s so many incredible foods the average American has yet to discover, and we want Water Balls to change that,” Gupta said.
Both Pani Puri and Pandan Puri kits are available at waterballsusa.com, with nationwide shipping. The company is also exploring additional holiday events and local retail partnerships as it grows.
For Gupta, the goal goes beyond recreating a favorite childhood snack. It’s about sharing the flavors and memories that shaped her life, one crunchy, flavor-packed bite at a time.
