Food is one of the things that connects people from all walks of life. If you want to get to know a place or the cuisine, it is famous for then skip the fancy restaurants and make a place for some street food in your itinerary. India has a total of 28 states, eight union territories, and each state is a treasure cove of culture, cuisines, and traditions. It is not possible to cover all the street foods in a single article, but we picked out the top 15 street foods that give you options for munching. Check out the Indian street foods you can try and where to find them.
15 Best Indian Street Foods You Must Try:
Here is a list of street foods that you must try when you visit any of the surrounding places for a trip.
1. Aloo Bonda:
As the name suggests or otherwise known as Mangalore Aloo Bonda is readily available street food. This is a result when potatoes are mashed with some spices, coriander forming small balls, then dipping each ball into the gram flour batter and then deep fry it in oil. The result is a taste blast in your mouth. It is usually served with coconut chutney.
2. Kerala Fried Fish:
Seafood is one of the favorite choices of meat-eaters. The smell of deep-fried fish pulls you towards the stall, tempting you instantly. A fish marinated in a variety of spices and deep fry it in oil. The outer crust of the fish is crispy, leaving the inner flesh soft and moist. Add a squeeze of lemon on your piece of fish and eat it while it is hot and crispy.
See More: Famous Street Foods in Delhi
3. Punugulu:
It is popular street food in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Vijayawada. The main ingredient of this food is fermented rice batter. The batter is sometimes mixed with small sliced onions, coriander, chilies, and then deep-fried in oil. These deep-fried crispy balls taste yummy when added with tomato or coconut chutney.
4. Idiyappam:
It is a delicious road snack that is widely available on the streets of Tamilnadu and Kerala. The main ingredient being rice flour this snack fills up your stomach, especially in the mornings. A presser is used to push out long strands of strings similar to noodles that are steamed and served with a delicious combination of curies like avail, egg curry, and spicy fish curry too.
5. Idli:
Idli is another street food available all over south India with slight variation in preparation. Many prefer it as a healthy option since it is steamed. These are served in varied versions; idli sprinkled with karampodi and a touch of ghee. Idli sambar is also an instant and tummy-filling roadside food. It can also be served with chutneys prepared with coconut and peanuts.
See More: Famous Street Foods in Ahmedabad
6. Aloo Tikki:
This is an outstanding roadside food that is available avidly in any part of North India. Filled with the goodness of spices, mashed potatoes, and peas and mixing the contents and making them into balls, these balls are flattened and deep-fried and served hot with sweet and sour chutney.
7. Kaladi Kulcha:
It is also called King of street foods in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a traditional Dogra recipe prepared with either goat milk or cow milk. The taste of this conventional roadside food is similar to cheese and paneer; the only difference being there is a sourness at the end. It is sautéed in its fat and served with a bit of salt and spices. Take a bite and enjoy the taste of this heavenly cheese.
8. Momos:
This is a food that originated from Tibet; it is called a king of street food in Delhi. Though it is an exotic food, the north Indians love it so much that there is no such stall where you cannot find a momo stand. Every street stall has at least four varieties of momos. The hot piping momos with a filling of paneer, mutton, tandoori, gravy, etc., you can find all types, you just have to name it.
See More: Famous Street Foods in Bangalore
9. Kachori:
Kachori is ready to eat food that is readily available in many street stalls, mainly in the cities of Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur. Several varieties of kachori are available with a variety of filling inside this deep-fried pastry. Onion, Peas, potatoes, and Lentils re some of the fillings used along with some spices and garnishing. It is best served with tangy tamarind chutney.
10. Chole Bhature:
It is a roadside food originated in Punjab; with time, it slowly got into the hearts of all over north India. The chickpeas are cooked with a lot of spices and to be eaten with fried bread majorly prepared with all-purpose flour. A single bite into this yummy street food brings you to the food heaven. The addition of thinly sliced onions and chilly makes it more delicious!
11. Thukpa:
This is a traditional cuisine in the state of Assam that has some influence from Tibetan culture. The refreshing taste of this food is not just a snack but a complete meal in itself. It has healthy veggies like cabbage, onion, and fresh herbs and then garnished with ginger, lemongrass, and fish sauce. Shredded chicken or pork is added in a non-vegetarian version of Thukpa.
See More: Famous Street Foods in Kolkata
12. Kathi Roll:
This is something that has gone famous all around the country, but did you know it was developed in our very own Calcutta. The parantha is prepared very thin and flaky and filled with a lot of chutneys and sauces, making them drool-worthy. Many versions have come into picture in the recent days, with both vegetables and meats.
13. Dabeli:
Originally from Kutch Dabeli is a mixture of boiled potatoes with a special dabeli masala placed in between burger like bread also known as ladi pav. There is a seven-star garnishing of this street food done with roasted peanuts, pomegranate, and some sev making you drool unknowingly. It is served with a variety of sauces like chili, tamarind, garlic, etc., according to your taste.
14. Vada Pao:
Eating a vada pao is a ritual if you ever visit Mumbai because this is one of the best, tasty, and instantly ready street food available in every nook and corner of aamchi Mumbai. Pao or a bun is cut in half and applied with a variety of chutneys, but coriander is the one used avidly. Salted chilies add to the spiciness of this street food, and you can’t help but reach out for one more!
15. Seekh Kebabs:
Getting its primary influence from Mughal cuisine, this is street food from the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. As the name suggests, it is a food prepared with minced meat placed on a skewer, also called seekh, and cooked on the fire made by coal. This is a delicacy that you shouldn’t miss on the streets of Madhya Pradesh. It also has sister kebabs like keema, korma, and Shammi kebabs.
Top 10 Indian Street Food Places 2021:
- Khau Galli is one of the famous places in Mumbai best known for its food stalls available from as early as 8:30 in the morning. It is well known for malpuas, soft nans, mouth-watering kebabs.
- The streets of Delhi are a treat to enjoy lip-smacking Jalebis, oily paranthas, chole bhature. Chandini Chowk is another place in Delhi that has a line of stalls offering you prepared food for your tummy.
- Hyderabad is not only famous for a variety of Biryanis, but it also has stalls of street foods available in every nook and corner of the city. A busy center like Koti has a variety of chats, types of kulfi. Some other roadside foods are cut-Mirchi, Mirchi bajji.
- Kolkata is one of the places to get the cheapest street foods. Park Street and Newmarket are some places best known for the availability of street food stalls. You can get spicy dishes like Kathi rolls and jhalmuri and sweets like Rosogolla and Sandesh.
- Lucknow is a city also considered as a place with a mixture of nawabs and Awadhi cuisine. It is a city of street foods for both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Some delicacies are kormas, galouti kebabs, etc. but don’t forget to try a banarasi pan.
- Wagah border and golden temple are not the only things Amritsar is known for. It is famous for street foods and is every foodie’s dream come true. Fresh and hot Sarson da saag and makke di roti, or dal are made and sold at such speed that it is unbelievable. Add a glass of lassi with a bowl of gajar ka halwa. Non-vegetarian options are also available such as butter chicken and mutton chaap.
- The Municipal Market along the CG road has a non-ending menu of all varieties of Gujarati street foods like yummy Dabeli, Basundi, along with pakoras, khaman, dhokla and many more with bittersweet chutneys.
- No wonder Indore is considered a food capital of central India. Sarafa area is a well-known food bazaar along with jewelers. Freshly made sweets like gulab jamun, malpuas, rabdi, and kalakand are sold in the roadside stalls. Some other refreshments available that can be found are kachoris, tikkis in stalls at affordable prices.
- Simple food served in a banana leaf makes all the difference in the world! Chennai is a place where you can get dosa or uthappam topped up with coconut and ginger chutney. Tasty filter coffee, bajji’s are served hot along the beaches for you to slurp up. Mohinga, kothu parotta are some other famous snacks widely available on the streets.
- For a wide variety of cakes and pastries, you need to visit a police bazaar in Shillong. It is also famous for momos, pork roast that is part and parcel of the food culture of Meghalaya. Another widely eaten food by the locals of Meghalaya that you need to try is a good Khasi food Jadoh.
With India and its varied culture, it is impossible to jot down every food. But we tried to give a wide variety of street food from all over India. Although we can find all types of foods in every part of the country, for the authentic taste, you need to visit the streets of the place where they originally belong. With the list of the Indian street foods at hand, start planning your trip, and don’t forget to taste this yummylicious street food.
