India is a food lover’s paradise. From vegan food to grilled meat, the options are endless and flavours unlimited. Street food is loved by one and all throughout the world, be it hot dogs in New York or tacos in Mexico. Here’s a list of top 10 Indian foods that you must try!
- Pani puri/Golgappa/Phuchka
This is probably one street snack that is loved by everyone. The ingredients and flavour of panipuri varies across the length and breadth of this country. These little crispy fired dough balls, filled with a mixture of potatoes, chickpeas and spices, dunked in tamarind and mint water is an absolute street food delight. And the best part about this snack is it helps in weight reduction. Yes, calories in golgappa are actually very low. So go ahead and fill your plates up with some delicious golgappas.
- Aloo tikki chaat
Aloo tikkis are fried spicy potato cakes. This is another popular street food throughout India. Crispy fried aloo tikkis are served with spicy and tangy chutneys with a little bit of cilantro sprinkled on top. Oh what a treat!
- Egg roll
The first version of roll was a stick of meat kebabs wrapped in a flaky paratha(Indian flatbread). Since then, rolls have come a long way and have a lot more variants now. One of the most popular rolls has to be the egg roll. This fried egg wrapped in a paratha, with salad and ketchup goodness is a must try for everyone!
- Pav bhaji
Think extremely buttery bun breads, dipped in a spicy and tangy vegetable gravy (doused in butter as well) served with salad on the side. That’s a heavenly plate of pav bhaji for you!
- Tunde Kebabs
Tunde kebab is one of the best street side kebabs you can get in India. These are oval shaped, shallow fried, minced meat cakes and are flavour bombs to say the least. Tunde means a handicapped man and thus ‘tunde ke kebab’ refers to the kebabs formed by a handicapped man. The tale behind this kebab is incredible and so is its taste.
- Idli & Dosa
Idli & Dosa has to be the greatest gift of Southern India to the rest of India. Idlis are steamed cakes made from a batter of lentils and rice. Dosa is a crispy crepe made from the same batter. While idli & dosa are breakfast favourites, they make up for great evening snacks as well. Served with chutneys and sambar, idli & dosa is a very healthy street food options and you should definitely give them a try!
- Samosa
Samosa is not only a favourite in India, but also in many parts of the world. Be it Africa or Australia, everyone loves samosa and have their own version of this snack. Samosa is basically a stuffed, deep fried croquette of sorts. The filling ranges from potatoes, cauliflowers to chicken, lamb, fish, et cetera. Served with a green and tamarind chutney, piping hot samosas are a street food lover’s delight.
- Club Kachori
Club kachoris are small, deep fried dough balls, served with a potato and chickpea curry. These are typically small version of the popular ‘kachori-subzi’ and originated in the clubs of India. The kachoris, filled with some spices, are deep fried to golden goodness and taste amazingly well with the curry.
- Chow mein
Chow mein literally translates to stir fried noodles. This dish came to India from the Chinese obviously, but took its own form in different parts of India. Every part of India has its different form of chow mein. While in the South, they put curry leaves in chow mein, in Calcutta they serve what is called the hakka version of Chinese. Easy to prepare, gets ready in minutes and thus Chow mein is one of the most saught after street food in India.
- Momos
Momos are undoubtedly one of the most favourite street foods in India. A momo is a Tibetian and/or Nepalese dumpling. From beef, chicken and pork to vegetables and paneer, momos in India have a lot of variety. In Delhi, they started this fusion form of momo called the Tandoori momo, where they bake the steamed momos ina tandoor oven. Be it any form, momo is a hit among Indian street food lovers.
Be it indigenous, foreign or fusion foods, street food in India is an integral part of the food ecosystem. If you’re visiting India, street food is something you must get your hands dirty with!
