Google honours India's beloved street food Pani Puri with interactive game doodle

Google has paid homage to India’s beloved street food, pani puri, through an engaging and interactive game doodle. The tech giant selected this day to celebrate pani puri as it marks the anniversary of a restaurant in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, setting a world record in 2015 by serving 51 flavours of pani puri. Eight years later, Google commemorates this remarkable achievement by offering users an opportunity to play the interactive game.

This culinary delight transcends regional barriers with different names and variations across India. In Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, it is known as pani puri, comprising small treats filled with boiled chickpeas, white pea mixture, and sprouts, immersed in tangy and spicy pani.

In northern states like Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and New Delhi, it is called gol gappe or gol gappa, featuring a potato and chickpea-filled delicacy dipped in jaljeera-flavored water. West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand refer to it as puchkas or fuchkas, where tamarind pulp plays a crucial role.

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According to legend, the epic Mahabharata tells the story of Draupadi, who invented pani puri when faced with the challenge of feeding five men with limited resources. Armed with leftover aloo sabzi (potatoes and vegetables) and a small amount of wheat dough, Draupadi used her creativity. She filled small fried dough pieces with the potato and vegetable mixture, thus inventing pani puri.

The interactive doodle game invites players to serve pani puri based on customers’ preferences, but caution is necessary since a wrong order leads to losing a life. The game beautifully mirrors life itself, as pani puri offers an array of flavours and combinations.

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To join in the fun, follow these steps:

1. Visit www.google.com

2. Click on the Doodle, located above the search bar.

3. Select either the timed or relaxed mode.

4. Help fulfill orders by clicking on the correct pani puri flavour.

Google’s playful tribute to pani puri not only celebrates this cherished street food, but also brings joy to users who can now engage in a virtual pani puri-serving experience.