Five Must-Try Indian Street Foods

Five Must-Try Indian Street Foods



Street
food is an essential part of dining in India, where
roadside traders peddle
aromatic dishes
to hungry locals and travellers with an
appetite for the exotic. Fresh produce, pulses and pungent spices
combine to make dishes that are at once vibrant and delicious.
Consider this an introduction to the country’s best street food
staples.

A snack-sized guide to Indian street food


Pani Puri

Literally meaning “water pancake”, pani puri is a crisp,
deep-fried hollow dough ball commonly filled with spiced water,
sweet tamarind chutney and potato, onion and chickpeas flavoured
with chaat masala. These morsels hold together for mere moments, so
they’re best eaten all in one. While they’re eaten across the
country, the names differs depending on the state – look out for
“golgappa” in Delhi and “phuchka” in Bengal.


Jalebi

These bright-orange spirals are hard to miss on the streets of
India. For this traditional dessert, a sweet batter is shaped into
swirls and deep fried before being soaked in sugar syrup. Jalebi is
best served warm, when the centre is soft and chewy and the outer
layer is crisp. It’s a must for those with a sweet tooth, and
guaranteed to leave you with sticky fingers.


Chaat

Combining sweet and savoury flavours, chaat (most commonly
enjoyed in northern India) is an appetite-whetting medley of puffed
rice, Bombay mix, yoghurt and tangy tamarind sauce. Combinations
vary from vendor to vendor – expect additional chickpeas and flecks
of coriander thrown into this multi-textured dish.


Vada Pav

No trip to
Mumbai
is complete without tasting vada pav. Originating in
Maharashtra (the state of which Mumbai is capital) in West India,
this deep-fried potato dumpling placed in a bread is spiked with
chutney, onion and tomato toppings – make sure to add fried green
chillies if on offer. This adored vegetarian sandwich is devoured
by everyone from students to businesspeople.


Dosa

A South-Indian delicacy, this savoury pancake is best enjoyed
filled with masala-spiced potato and topped with coconut chutney –
you’ll often find it served with sambar, a soupy vegetable-studded
dhal, too. Although originating from southern India, the dish is
now popular all over India. In cities such as Mumbai and Jaipur,
the traditional dosa has been reinvented with alternative
fillings.