Pani puri is a popular street food in India and the different names for it have sparked heated debates. Read on to know the history behind it all.
Panipuri was originally known as Jalapatra and its earliest known reference is in the Mahabharata (4th or 5th century BCE).
Draupadi, wife of the 5 Pandavas, was challenged by Kunti to make a dish for all 5 sons. She used leftover dough and potato sabzi to create the first jalapatra.
The most widely used name (especially in Maharashtra), it consists of a puri filled with mashed potatoes, chickpeas, onions, tamarind chutney, chilli, and flavoured water.
Used mostly in Delhi and Punjab, golgappe are generally the same as pani puris.
Known as puchka in West Bengal, the dish is similar to pani puri, but the pani is typically made with a spicier chutney.
The punjabi version of this dish is similar to pani puri, but the puri is made with a thicker dough.
Popular in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the puri in this dish is made in a smaller size.
This Odishan version is similar to pani puri, but the pani is typically made with a milder chutney.
In this Gujarati snack the puri is made with a different type of dough and the pani is typically made with a sweeter chutney.