We love Indian food. We love the colours, the textures, the smells and, of course, the taste. You won’t be hard pushed to find a curry or two on British shores – hey, it’s practically our own national dish, and we love every mouthful. But you may find it a bit trickier to find some tasty, authentic Indian street food.
We reckon that some food is simply worth travelling for, and knowing what the best street food is and where to find it could have you returning to India time and time again.
Luckily, in the interest of our bank balance and rumbling tummies, we’ve had a word with our friends at London based Indian street food restaurant Mooli’s, and come up with 10 of the finest street food snacks you will ever find.
Forget chicken tikka masala – this is the stuff to give you an authentic taste of India.
10 mouthwatering Indian street food snacks
1. Masala Dosa
Get you teeth into this Indian rice pancake served with a spicy lentil broth (Sambar) and coconut chutney. Mmm!
| Image by Charles Haynes
2. Aloo Tikki
These delicious pan fried potato cakes come served with yoghurt & tamarind chutney.
3. Egg Bhurji
This masala omelette on white bread is a great for breakfast while travelling. You can pick it up on the train or on the road side. Too easy!
| Image by $holydevil
4. Daal Makahni
Give this black lentil daal cooked with tomato, ginger, garlic a try – not one for the diet, though, as it’s cooked with a big helping of butter cream!
5. Kati Roll
This delicious roti is fried on one side with egg and stuffed with grilled meat or paneer. Dan from Mooli’s says, “You’ll probably find the best ones in Calcutta (try Nizams at 23/24 Hogg St) but they are great everywhere.”
6. Aloo Papdi Chaat
Get chomping on these semolina crisps with potatoes, chickpeas, tamarind & yoghurt. Dan suggests, “Enjoy these at sunset on Chaupati Beach in Mumbai.”
7. Pani Puri
Pop these refreshing balls of semolina filled with sweet tamarind chutney & spicy mint and cumin water into your mouth whole. Yum yum!
8. Bhel Puri
Tuck into this puffed rice with fresh coriander, pomegranate, potatoes, lime juice & tamarind chutney.
9. Sweet Lassi
Thirsty? This yoghurt drink made with rose water & cardamom is the perfect addition to a spicy snack.
10. Malai Kulfi
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Indian cuisine, but this dense reduced milk ice cream is a delicious way to round off a meal.
10 MOUTHWATERING INDIAN STREET FOOD SNACKS
Some of these snacks appeared to have raw salad and raw pomegranate in them. I would guess these may have a hazzardous effect on your health.
To be honest, you’re really chancing your health if you eat any street snacks in India. Even in proper restaurants, it’s guaranteed that you’ll have a bad stomach a couple of times on a short trip. They look tempting in pictures, but once you see the stalls in which street snacks are cooked, you understand why all sensible guide books tell you to avoid them at all costs! India’s a wonderful place but certainly not a place to need to use the toilet in an emergency, as even in nice restaurants they’re often disgusting, let alone on a train!
I can understand why you’d say that, James, but in my experience (and I’ve spent a lot of time in India), if you’re careful you should be OK. I would personally opt for the cooked stuff, and preferably see it cooked in front of me.
If you can’t boil it, peel it, cook it, or wash it… probably best to avoid it!
Hi Ant,
fair enough but one of the main problems in India is lack of facilities/ignorance about handwashing with soap. So a stall could look reasonably clean but if the guy hasn’t washed his hands all day (or given them the cursory rinse in standing water)…you’re in for problems!
More than anything else, that’s what transmits bacteria and causes upset stomaches in Westerners.
WE observed local people, and chose were we ate carefully, ate what the locals ate and did not have any trouble in six months in India. It does not pay to be paranoid. We need to expose ourselves to everything, that’s the only way to build resistance.