A St. Louis business is packing the crunch and tang of Indian street food into kits meant for home kitchens, and its founders say the idea traces back to a childhood craving and a honeymoon bite in Kolkata. Water Balls makes at-home pani puri and pandan puri kits, blending Indian street food with Southeast Asian flavors in small-batch, vegetarian form.
The business was co-founded by Priyanka Gupta and her husband, Kevin Kuehner, according to Sauce Magazine. Gupta was born in Kolkata, India, and moved to Singapore as a child, a path also noted by Uncommon Goods, which lists her as the creator behind the pani puri kit now sold on its site. Gupta has said she craved pani puri since childhood, while Kuehner first tried the dish on his own trip to Kolkata.
A Family Recipe Turned Into a Business
Water Balls launched in September 2024, built around Gupta's family recipe, per the Sauce Magazine report. The company's own site describes its approach plainly: everything in the kits is measured, packed and ready, so customers just add water. Water Balls markets the kits as vegetarian, mild, small-batch and free of artificial colors or flavors, according to the company's website.
Pani puri itself consists of crisp, hollow puri shells filled with seasoned potatoes, crunchy sev noodles and tangy spiced water — eaten in a single bite once the shell is filled. The Water Balls kit includes 30 puri shells, seasoned potatoes, tamarind-cilantro pani and sev, and takes about five minutes to prepare, per Sauce Magazine. The puri shells can be puffed in an air fryer or microwave before filling. Uncommon Goods describes the kit similarly, noting its crispy shells filled with spiced potatoes and tangy herb water, and lists the kit as handmade in Missouri with a five-minute prep time that yields 30 puris.
Pandan Puri Adds a Southeast Asian Twist
Three months after launching, Water Balls added a second product: pandan puri, which pairs pandan custard with chocolate, caramel and coconut inside the same crunchy puri shells. The flavor was inspired by Southeast Asian tastes and a trip to Bali, according to Sauce Magazine. Gupta has said pandan puri brings together Southeast Asian flavors she grew up loving, tying the new item to her own upbringing in Singapore.
For Gupta, pani puri connects back to her Indian roots, while pandan puri draws more broadly on the flavors of Southeast Asia. She has said the goal behind Water Balls is to introduce Americans to foods that may be unfamiliar to them, framing the kits as an entry point into dishes she grew up eating.
From Farmers Markets to Diwali Tables
Water Balls first introduced its kits at farmers markets around the St. Louis region, along with appearances at the St. Louis Vegan Festival, the St. Charles International Food Festival and Harvest Fest, per Sauce Magazine. The business has since expanded sales to Uncommon Goods and Here Here Market, growing beyond its local market roots.
With Diwali approaching, Gupta hopes St. Louis families will try pani puri together during the holiday, which she describes as a Hindu festival celebrating light and togetherness. The kits are available nationwide through Water Balls' own site, with shipping offered directly to customers. Gupta and Kuehner have said they plan to grow the product lineup and reach more customers, and the company is exploring additional holiday events and local retail partnerships.
