If you’ve noticed the Google Doodle today, you’d find that it celebrates what is arguably India’s most popular chaat — pani puri.
While this snack has a fan following across the globe, one of the many legends says it had humble beginnings in the Indian kingdom of Magadh.
One of the 16 Mahajanapadas (great kingdoms in Sanskrit) of ancient India, the Magadha empire was situated on the banks of River Ganga (now west-central Bihar).
It is believed that phulkis (the precursor to pani puri) first originated in Magadh.
This was around the same time that other traditional specialities such as chitba, pitthow, tilba and chewda of Katarni rice, were evolving.
Another legend suggests the pani puri had its roots in the epic Mahabharata.
When a newly-wedded Draupadi returned home, she was given a task by her mother-in-law Kunti.
The Pandavas were in exile at the time and Kunti wanted to test if her new daughter-in-law would be able to make the most of the scarce resources.
So she gave Draupadi some leftover potato sabzi and just enough wheat dough to make one puri, instructing her to make food that would satisfy the hunger of all five of her sons.
It is believed that this was when the new bride invented pani puri.
Impressed with her daughter-in-law’s ingenuity, Kunti blessed the dish with immortality.
Through the centuries, the pani puri travelled across India and each region developed its own version according to its preferences.
While in Maharashtra, hot ragda (white peas curry) is added to the potato mash, in Gujarat, it is boiled moong and in Karnataka, it is chopped onions.
In north India, pani puri is called gol gappe, gup chup, pani ke pataashe or phulkis, while in Madhya Pradesh, it is called tikki.
In West Bengal, it goes by the name of phuchka, which is made out of wholewheat unlike the others that are usually made of flour or semolina.
Well, whatever your favourite version, this is your sign to go have some of the delicious chaat!