We’ve never taken a formal culinary expedition to India before, because most of us are already familiar with the country’s most famous dishes. But India may have more traditional street foods, with more regional variations than any other culture in the world!
Chloe Bhatura: A complex but supremely satisfying Indian street food…
Street food as huge as the culture
Consider this: India is poised to overtake China as the most populous nation in the world. And the cultures and traditions of the subcontinent are just as ancient and venerable. Multiply them by more than 20 distinct culinary regions in climate zones from the Himalayas to the ocean. You’d be right in assuming India has the most diverse national menu of all.
But more to the point: I’ve noticed that the older a culture is, the richer its street food tradition is. Also, the bigger the cities and more-concentrated the population, the most likely folks are to rely on street food to keep them going through their daily hustle and bustle. India literally runs on street food!
Other cuisines have spawned blog posts with titles like, “15 [insert location name] Street Foods You Must Try Before You Die”. But the first such compendium on India that comes up on Google lists no fewer than 74 ‘favourites’! At this rate, it may take more than just one Monday to get through just the most outstanding examples…
We’re going to cut the list of possibilities down significantly by passing over the stuff you already heard of. So don’t look for a lot of samosas, pakoras, kebabs, stews, naan, chapatis or papadams; or dishes from the more common of popular cooking styles: curry, vindaloo, tandoori, masala, korma, biryani, etc.).
By the way…
You’ll run into the term ‘Chaat’ over and over again when researching Indian street food. The world simply means ‘snack’!
On our menu today:
Panipuri: Crispy, hollow, fried dough balls (puri) stuffed with boiled potatoes or steamed mung bean sprouts or boiled chickpea or white pea curry (also known as ragda) servedwith with spicy ‘water’ and sweet chutney. One of the moist popular and ubiquitous of Indian street foods.
Paan: A unique after-dinner treat consisting of a betel leaf sprinkled with slaked lime and topped with chopped betel nuts.
The main event is chewing it. Some folks spit out the pulp after it gets mucky. Others swallow. One way or the other, betel is is classed as a recreational drug. Enjoy wisely.
Chloe Bhatura: A Punjabi favourite, pairing a puffy Bhaturra flatbread to dip in a bowl of chickpea curry, with a small tomato salad and some spicy pickle on the side. This may be the most complex of Indian street foods. But the locals don’t let that stop that them from gobbling it up!
Kachori: Stuffed crispy flatbread rounds – from hand-sized to pizza-sized, often stuffed with lentils or chickpeas.
But there are many other variations. A favourite for the Holi festival. Usually served with Tamarind chutney, green chutney or red chili garlic chutney.
Matar Kulcha: Curried dried white peas with Kulcha on the side. A huge street fave in the north, where it’s found everywhere, especially around college campuses. Amritsar is hailed as the homeplace of this pan-Indian staple.
Mutton Roll: The most popular Sri Lankan street food fave. It’s typically a curry of mutton, potatoes, onion, green curry and curry leaves with a rainbow of southern Indian spices. The filling is rolled into logs that are liberally coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried.
Kathi Roll: The name originally referred to the contents of a kebab rolled in a parantha flatbread. It now applies to just about thing wrapped in a parantha.
The most traditional Kathi are stuffed with coriander chutney, egg, and chicken. But there are now many, many variations, depending on where in West Bengal (or anywhere else in India, for that matter) you are dining.
Kalari Kulcha: Fried mature Paneer cheese served with bread – usually Kulcha. Think Greek Saganaki with fat, pillowy Pitas.
Arsa Bunchiar: Described by one fan thus: “In Mizoram, Arsa Bunchiar is a lot more than just street food. It’s one of the most basic local staples…
… The dish is basically an advanced chicken porridge enriched with spicy rice (it’s kind of similar to khichdi) and a mix of local Mizo herbs.” Unlike any opther Indian street food we’ve yet come across.
Bhalla Papdi: Deep-fried Lentil Fritters served with a spicy yogurt sauce. It’s a staple at the Festival of Colours (Holi) and is considered a treat any time of year. Serve with sweet tangy tamarind chutney and spicy green chutney for dipping, and crunchy Papdi crackers.
And that’s just the beginning!
So multitudinous and varied are Indian street foods that we’re going to have to break them up in to two more easily digestible instalments. Back with the balance same time, same place, next Monday…
~ Maggie J.