Google search is celebrating the renowned Indian street food “pani puri” with an engaging and interactive game Doodle today. This delightful game allows users to assist a street vendor in fulfilling pani puri orders by selecting different flavors to match the preferences of each customer.
On this day in 2015, a restaurant in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore achieved a notable feat by serving 51 distinct pani puri flavors, earning a place in the Golden Book of World Records.
Google introduces the new pani puri game Doodle, describing it as a “popular South Asian street food consisting of a crispy shell stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas, spices, or chilis, and flavored waters.”
Origins and Regional Variations of Pani Puri:
According to legend, Pani Puri was first invented by Draupadi during the time of the Mahabharata. The story goes that when Draupadi became the wife of the Pandavas, they were still living in exile with limited resources. Draupadi’s mother-in-law, Kunti, advised her to use leftover aloo sabzi and wheat dough to create something that would satiate the hunger of all five men. The result was a bite-sized pani puri that successfully satisfied the Pandavas’ hunger.
This beloved street food has numerous regional variations and goes by different names throughout the country. In Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, Pani Puri typically refers to a bite-sized street food dipped in boiled chickpeas, a mixture of white peas and sprouts, accompanied by spicy pani.
In northern Indian states such as Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and New Delhi, gol gappa is the term used for this small street food filled with potatoes and chickpeas, complemented by jaljeera-flavored pani. Similarly, in West Bengal and certain parts of Bihar and Jharkhand, the street food is known as puchkas or fuchkas, with tamarind pulp as the key ingredient.
Whether you call it ‘golgappa,’ ‘pani puri,’ or ‘puchka,’ this savory snack holds a special place among India’s favorite street foods, appealing to individuals of all ages. Today, Google commemorates this beloved street food through a unique interactive doodle game.
“Today’s interactive game Doodle celebrates pani puri — a popular South Asian street food made of a crispy shell stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas, spices, or chilis, and flavored waters. And there’s a variety of pani puri for everyone’s taste buds,” Google writes.
In the interactive game Doodle, players are given the opportunity to assist a street vendor in fulfilling pani puri orders. The task involves selecting the puris that match each customer’s flavor and quantity preferences, ensuring their satisfaction.
To join in on the celebration, follow these steps:
Visit www.google.com.
Click on the Doodle displayed above the search bar.
Choose your preferred mode: timed or relaxed.
Help fulfill orders by selecting the correct pani puri flavor.
According to legend, the roots of this popular snack can be traced back to the epic Mahabharata, when Draupadi ingeniously fed her five husbands with meager resources. Using leftover aloo sabzi (potato and vegetable dish) and a small amount of wheat dough, Draupadi crafted small fried dough pieces filled with the potato and vegetable mixture, thus creating pani puri.
