Street Food from India That You Shouldn’t Miss

Traveling in India is a lot of fun but can also be challenging. One of the most difficult things to navigate is deciding what to eat at street food stalls. There seem to be millions to choose from, and each has its specialty — making it hard to know which ones are worth trying. In this blog post, I will cover some of my favorite dishes in nearly every corner of India and how much they cost.

Bhel Puri

Bhel puri is a popular street food from India that can be served as a snack or a side dish. It is made of puffed rice, sev finely chopped chickpea flour, tamarind chutney, and other ingredients such as diced onion, tomato, cucumber, and potato.

Bhel Puri originated in Mumbai, where it was sold at chaiwallahs street vendors, who would make the dish fresh on demand by mixing various components with their hands into a large ball which they would then flatten into disks before serving to customers.

Pani Puri

Pani puri is a popular street food in India, available at most markets, bazaars, and fairs nationwide. The dish consists of a hollow, crispy puri stuffed with potato and chickpeas, then dipped into spicy tamarind-based water pani. It can be eaten by hand or with a spoon. The choice is yours.

If you want to try making this delicious dish at home but don’t feel like buying all the ingredients from an Indian grocery store which may not exist where you live, here are some substitutes sweet potatoes can replace potatoes, chickpeas should be replaced with black beans, cilantro leaves should become fresh parsley sprigs, mint leaves can become basil leaves, red onion could stand in for scallions or leeks since both have similar flavors but are more pungent than white onions, jalapeno peppers would make suitable substitutes for serrano chilies when making spicy sauces like the one used here.

Samosa

Samosas are triangular-shaped fried or baked pastries stuffed with spiced potatoes, onions, peas, or other vegetables. They’re served in various ways, sometimes as an appetizer with chutney on the side, sometimes as an entree with curry, and sometimes as street food. Samosas are very popular in India but can also be found at restaurants throughout New York City and other places worldwide where Indian cuisine is served.

Jalebi

Jalebi is a sweet dish made of flour, sugar, and water. It’s deep fried in oil, then soaked in glucose syrup until it’s soaked up all the liquid. The result is a delicious, crispy treat that can be eaten with a glass of milk or just by itself.

Chaat

Chaat is a type of savory snack that can be made with vegetables, fruits, paneer, and yogurt. It’s often served with a tangy and spicy sauce. The word “chaat” means “to lick,” referring to how people enjoy eating this food so much that they end up licking their fingers clean.

The most popular chaats include:

Aloo tikki (potato patties). Dahi papdi chaat (yogurt with small wafers). Sev puri (a crispy flatbread).

Dhokla

Dhokla, a steamed cake made from chickpeas, is popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It’s often served as a snack or appetizer with chutney for breakfast or lunch. You can find it at street stalls throughout India and even at restaurants that serve Western-style fares such as pizza and burgers. It’s just one of those things that everyone loves.

The street food of India is one of the most colorful and delicious culinary traditions in the world. The flavors are bold, spicy, and varied. There’s something for everyone. From savory chaat snacks to paratha bread, this list should give you a good idea of what to expect when visiting India. And remember, if it looks good enough to eat, go ahead and try it.

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