Want to eat like a local in India? Then read on….To say Indian food is delicious is an understatement. Reti and I tend to lean more towards scrumptious and mouthwatering.
When people living outside of India think of Indian food, many might only know of the rich gravy curries, which are delicious! But Indian food is so much more than just the one type of curry we might be use to back home. In New Zealand, the go to Indian dish is Butter Chicken with a garlic cheese naan and not many people will experiment far beyond this.
However after travelling through India for over five months we have discovered just how varied and diverse Indian cuisine actually is. We ate our way across over 14 states of India and savoured every delectable moment.
So we decided to help out our fellow travellers and have created this list of the top 8 Indian Street foods you must try on your trip to India.
You can also watch our street food video here:
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1. Kulcha Chana Kulcha Chana surprised us, we didn’t realise Indian cuisine included such delicious salads! We were promptly proven wrong upon touching down in India. This street food snack can be found all over India, but we saw it concentrated in the central northern states. Kulcha Chana has many variations but the most common we found was a light chickpea salad with fresh coriander, red onions, tomatoes and a special lime/spice dressing all served with a fluffy shallow fried bread….YUM! It’s definitely a perfect snack or light lunch and packs in the freshness and flavour! Costs: ₹20-50 /$0.30-0.80USD |
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2. Chicken Biryani Our couchsurfing host in Hyderabad (Deepak) was the first to Introduce us to Biryani. He told us that Biryani holds its origins in ancient war times as the perfect food for soldiers in historic India. This classic dish is best eaten in south India and is a spice infused rice dish cooked in a huge vessel over many hours. The goat or chicken is cooked in the rice with many spices and oils and infuses while cooking, resulting in fall of the bone flavour rich meat. Definitely a mouth watering moment if you get a ‘real’ biryani, but be aware there are many restaurants who claim to be serving Biryani but bring you a glorified fried rice. Ask a local for the inside scoop on where to find the best Biryani and you won’t be disappointed. You can also see Reti eating the best Biryani he has ever tried in our street food video here. Costs: ₹100-300 / $1.40-$4.00USD |
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3. Poha The texture is more like rice bubbles then your average rice and is actually a nice light breakfast option while travelling India if you are a bit tired of a full curry breakfast. We found Poha more popular in central and northern India and didn’t encounter it much in southern India. Costs: ₹30-100 /$0.40-1.40USD |
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4. Dal Fry Dal Fry is a light lentil curry that varies in flavours and textures as you travel through India. Our favourite Dal Fry was definitely the ones we ate in Rajasthan State. Dal fry has a lovely earthy flavour and feels nourishing while you eat it, it also packs in the protein. Some people eat Dal Fry with roti, but I would always eat it with rice and a cucumber/onion salad, aaaah the memories. Costs: ₹50-200 / $0.30-2.70USD |
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5. Chicken 65 This marinated deep fried chicken dish is usually served with slices of onion, fresh coriander and a lime wedge. The crunch and zing of the chicken is just so addictive. Usually found in south Indian states, Chicken 65 was actually invented by A.M Buhari of the Buhari Hotel chain in 1965. This snack is a definite must try if you are in south India and you can find this dish at street food stalls or in almost every south Indian restaurant. Costs: ₹100-300/ $1.40-$4.00USD |
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6. Thali Common items found on a Thali platter are dal fry, a wet curry, a dry curry, rice, roti, poppadoms, curd, pickles/chutney, salad & sometimes even a sweet! Its a real feast and a great way to be introduced to Indian cuisine. Plus it’s a great budget option, as most Thalis will be unlimited, meaning you pay once and they will top up your food until you are full! Thalis can be found in most restaurants and many street food vendors across India and can range from supercheap to cheap! Costs: 50-300 / $0.30-4.00USD |
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7. Buttermilk Kadhi It’s flavour is very unique and became one of our favourites while travelling through India. You will mainly find Kadhi in the state of Punjab and surrounding states and it will oftentimes be served on your thali, but you can also find it served on its own. Costs: ₹50-200 / $0.30-2.70USD |
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8. Bhaji Pav We ate Bhaji Pav for lunch and the best versions of this dish are found at the street food stalls. We noticed this dish all over India, but found our favourite Bhaji Pav in the north western state of Rajasthan. Costs: ₹20-50 /$0.30-0.80USD |
There it is, we hope this list of our top Indian street food picks has inspired you to try some new and exciting Indian dishes! And don’t forget to check out our Indian Street Food video and other Indian travel adventure videos on our Native Travellers Youtube Channel.
Cheers, Native Travellers
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