India is well-known for two things – its finger-licking good food and Bollywood melodrama. Your trip to India is moot if you haven’t watched an action-packed Amitabh Bachan movie or tried the delicious street food. And if you are an American looking to make improvements in your diet, but don’t want to sacrifice taste you’re in luck!
Indian cuisine is traditionally vegetarian, but fortunately for you, you’ll have tons of options to choose from. Here are great Indian street foods that will have you begging for more!
Samosas: Located all across India
When you are strolling down the streets of India, it’s hard not to spot a stall with a great wok frying samosas. They are triangular-shaped fritters with savory stuffing. The delicious filling is made from spiced mashed potatoes, chickpeas, and onions. It can even have minced mutton or chicken, depending on where you are in India. Samosas are not only found in India but are also enjoyed by the people of Middle Eastern countries, too.
Vada Pav: A Mumbai Speciality
This is an Indian version of a burger, straight from the heart of Maharashtra. It consists of a fried potato dumpling called ‘Vada’ in a bun, which is slathered with a red and green chutney that adds a spicy flavor to it. Don’t forget to take a nibble of fried green chili with each bite of Vada!
Golgappa or Panipuri: Found in Calcutta
You cannot leave the streets of India without tasting one of these. It is not just the dish, but the way it is made that is equally a part of the savory process.
The process starts by punching a tiny hole in a fried sphere called “Puri,” followed by stuffing boiled potato, chickpeas, onion, and sprouts inside. The Puri is then dunked into a sweet and sour tangy mix of jaggery and tamarind. Time to pop the Puri in your mouth and taste the explosion of flavor!
Chole Bhature: A Street Food of Delhi
There are hundreds of varieties of street foods to try in Delhi, but this one should be on the top of your list. The crisp and puffed bhature, coupled with a spicy hot chickpeas curry, is an ultimate treat for your mouth.
Dabeli: Ahmedabad’s Street Food of Choice
When you are done eating your Chole Bhature in Delhi, turn to Ahmedabad for Dabeli! This food has a spicy potato mixture with a variety of chutneys spread between the bun. Lastly it is garnished with finely chopped onions, nylon sev, spicy peanuts, and pomegranate. Its sweet, crunchy, and hot taste brings out many of the authentic flavors of India.
Jalebi: Famous Street Food of Jaipur
If you had your fill of spicy Indian food during your travels, try Jalebi to satisfy your sweet tooth! Made from yeast and sugar syrup, it is best described as a funnel cake with a crispy-thin exterior and a juicy-sweet interior. Piping hot Jalebi served with cold rabbi can take you to an entirely new world if you have the chance to taste it!
Idli Sambhar: The Best Street Food of Chennai
You haven’t tasted all of India unless you’ve tried the fluffy soft idlis with its accompanying stew in Chennai. Sambhar is a vegetable stew made of tamarind pulp and herbs. Idlis are made from steamed rice batter. This dish not only tastes incredibly delicious, but is also one of the healthier street foods in the country.
We are just getting started here; there are tons of other mouth watering dishes that can easily make it to this list. India is one rich country in culture and has no shortage of rich food to match!
Enjoying Indian Street Food Near and Far
The food in India is usually quite different from the Indian food that you may have eaten in the United States. Most travelers to India discover that the food in India is much richer making it more enjoyable as they taste all of the foods of India.
Many believe that the difference in tastes comes from the different preparation of foods in India versus other countries. The use of spice flakes in India rather than spice powders in other countries may also be part of the reason why the food tastes so different a world away from India.
The best way to relive your Indian Street Food memories is by shopping at local Indian grocery stores to find your authentic ingredients. Using standard supermarket spices and ingredients unfortunately will not give you the taste you might remember since many don’t source ingredients from India.
Come and drop by Pioneer Cash & Carry today! You can visit one of our two stores, where we’d be more than happy to show you around and help you find many of authentic ingredients of India’s street food.
