The Google doodle on July 12, expressed love for the popular south Asian street snack, that we know by a few names in India — panipuri, gup chup, golgappa, and Kolkata’s favourite phuchka. This little mouthful of a flavour bomb unites different corners of south Asia, and makes every street-food lover smile. Plus, the phuchka isn’t seasonal!
The Google doodle, titled Celebrating Pani Puri, describes the panipuri as ‘deep- fried puris served cold and filled with tasty chutneys and flavourful waters’ and clicking on the icon leads you to a fun interactive game.
The tech giant’s fun artwork comes on the day, when eight years ago, a panipuri world record was made. On July 12, 2015, an Indore-based restaurant set a world record by serving people 51 flavours of panipuri to their customers. And helping them out was MasterChef India’s Neha Deepak Shah.
The doodle leads to a fun interactive game Google
In the spirit of the day, the game is based around serving phuchkas to hungry customers. It has two modes — timed and relaxed — and players have to select the exact number of the different flavours to help the food vendor fulfil orders, and satisfy the hungry customers.
All that playing and reading about panipuris and phuchkas is bound to get anyone hungry! A perfect time to go on a phuchka trail around Kolkata. Here are a few My Kolkata recommendations on where to have the best, most delicious, and whackiest phuchkas.
The grand ol’ OG
While experiments are great, a great traditional phuchka cannot be beaten! Every para and neighbourhood in Kolkata has its own favourite phuchkawala, so you’re never far from a good one, but there are a few choice picks to savour the crunchy street snack in the city. If you’re shopping in New Market, check out the guy selling phuchkas near the old New Empire cinema, and near the Oberoi Grand. If you’re planning to hit Gariahat next, make two phuchka stops for sure — head to Vivekananda Park, which is dotted with street-food stalls, and stop right outside Dakshinapan Shopping Complex for the phuchka and alu dum. The phuchkawalas in front of Victoria Memorial and Vardaan Market also have a name, as does the one near Ultadanga crossing, and one of the oldest of the lot — Five Star on CIT Road — is also well-known.
Trendsetting ‘phuchkas’
Phuchka Chop and (right) the making of Thums Up phuchka My Kolkata
Ever heard of a Phuchka Chop? Or a Thums-up phuchka? Well, we have. The tasty Phuchka Chops are the brainchild of the Bairagi family that runs a roadside stall in Salt Lake. A food trend that went viral on Instagram not too long ago, this one definitely deserves to be tasted at least once in your lifetime. For all those who like to wash down the overdose of phuchka or churmur with a glass of masala Thums Up, the Thums Up phuchka at Vivekananda Park is a must-try.
‘Phuchkas’ with a twist
Innovations with the phuchka have been around almost as long as the phuchka has. Kolkata also has its share of stalls and eateries trying out new things with phuchka fillings. It’s not just variations of khatta, meetha or teekha, you can grab phuchkas with a variety of fillings, from corn cheese to Maggi and Kurkure. A popular stall near Woodlands Hospital also has a tomato phuchka with no alu in the filling, and a ghugni phuchka.
Chef's choice
Dilip da's phuchka stall in Vivekananda Park
At the street-food hub that is Vivekananda Park, Dilip da’s phuchka stall stands out. In fact, this phuchka has Sienna Cafe’s head chef Auroni Mookerjee’s stamp of approval (and heart)! Maharani Chaat Centre, Dilip da’s shop not only has a selection of phuchkas but his inventions have surprising flavours — the Thums-Up phuchka is one of his creations. From adding green chilli paste, to garnishing with gondhoraj leaves, he is a phuchka flavour master.
‘Mishti phuchka’
Chocolate phuchka at Wah! Phuchka Instagram
If you thought phuchkas were just for snacking, think again. Wah! Phuchka, which has locations in Kasba New Market, Jodhpur Gardens, and VIP Nagar, is serving an innovative way to end your dinner with their chocolate phuchka. They also have Butter Chicken, Chicken Keema, and Fish Masala options.
Bonus: ‘Videsi phuchka’
Whether you’re a Kolkatan living in Kolkata or not, the love for phuchka doesn’t diminish. So if you’re a probashi Kolkatan in London, or you have a phuchka hankering on a London trip, check out Raastawala. Head to their north Greenwich or Stratford outlets or keep an eye out for a pop up around London. Raastawala’s Spicy Water Bombs are little bombs of flavour that will remind you of home, and phuchkas.
