History of Street Food in India
Who doesn’t love street food? It is quick, cheap, and easy to find, not to mention immensely delicious. Wherever you go, the love for street food definitely unites us all. Today, we are talking about one country in particular. This country is known for its amazing and abundantly diverse cuisines. Another hint? They are known for their flavorful curries. Could you guess it? It’s India! Along with Shiva Shakti let’s begin our journey through the best street food in India
The history of Indian street food is extensive. You can find kebab sellers on the streets of Delhi who used to serve the Mughal kings. During the colonial era, street food in Kolkata was made to appeal to British customers, so it is a mix of different kinds of food.
Top Street Foods in India
Vada Pav
For us, Vada pav is the king of street foods. Vada Pav is essentially a deep-fried potato patty served with chutneys in a bun. Sounds delicious, no? You can also call vada pav the Indian equivalent of the burger. It is very popular in Maharashtra, specifically in Mumbai and Pune.
Gol Gappa
This is India’s ultimate street food, also known as pani puri or puchkas. You will find pani puri almost anywhere and everywhere in India due to its immense popularity. Have you tried Gol Gappa? If not then visit Shiva Shakti to find the ultimate street food of India.
Kathi roll
This is a specialty of Kolkata. Kathi rolls are a type of flatbread called paratha. But that’s not all. This paratha is filled with all things delicious, like cheese, chicken, your favorite meat, vegetables, and eggs.
Chole Bhature
Straight from the famous streets of Delhi, our favorite Chole Bhature is here. Chole is chickpeas and bhature is a type of tasty flatbread that is both puffy and delicious to eat. Particularly famous in Delhi and other northern cities it has become popular throughout India.
Poha
One of the most popular breakfast options and healthy street food. Poha is made of flattened rice, onions, potatoes, and spices and garnished with coriander. This is a street food from Indore, but it is very famous in Maharashtra too.
Idli Sambar
Our list would be incomplete without this beauty of a dish. Idli sambar is a simple dish. However, it is full of nutrients and very flavorful. This dish hails from South India but has managed to capture the heart of India.
Popular Street Food Recipes
If we were to give you the recipe for all the amazingly tasty street food in India, this blog would never end. If you want to try all the delicious Indian dishes, you can visit Shiva Shakti and enjoy a scrumptious Indian meal. Today, Shiva Shakti will give you two of our best Indian street food recipes.
Vada Pav
Simple to make; delicious to eat. First, we start by boiling 5 potatoes. Take them out and peel off the outer cover. In a bowl, mash the potatoes. Now we add the condiments, which you can adjust to your taste. In a pan, take 1 ½ tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 5-6 curry leaves, 1 ½ teaspoons of ginger garlic paste, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, 1 ½ teaspoons of haldi (turmeric), a pinch of hing (asafoetida) and ½ teaspoon of red chili powder. Mix everything together and add a little bit of water to avoid burning the spices. Add the potatoes in with some corriander leaves and mix everything.
Now divide this into eight parts and roll into a circular shape. For the batter, in a bowl, take 1 cup of besan (chickpea flour), 3 tablespoons of rice flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of haldi, and ⅛ teaspoon of red chili powder. Mix this with water to a thick but slightly runny consistency. Dip your vadas in this batter and deep fry to get your perfect golden vada’s.
Poha
Poha is made of flattened rice. Now everyone has their own recipe, but our aim is to simplify the recipe while keeping its deliciousness. In a pan, take 2 tablespoons of oil. Add curry leaves (5–6) to the pan. Once it starts sputtering, add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 3-4 slit green chilies, and let it fry for 2 minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon of haldi, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of asafoetida.
Optional: you can add half a cup of potatoes, sugar, peanuts, and lemon juice. If you choose to add potatoes, add ¼ cup of water and close the lid for 10 minutes to allow the potatoes to cook fully. Add half a cup of chopped onions and sauté for 5–6 minutes. To this, add the flattened rice (washed) and close the lid. Let it cook for 5–10 minutes.
Benefits of Eating street food
Sometimes you just need to give in to those delicious cravings. After all, we only live once, so we need to enjoy the delectable food we have around us. By eating street food, we can:
- Enjoy the food of different cultures around us
- It binds local communities and cultures together
- Get a quick snack on the go
- Cheap and safe option
- There are various options to choose from
Optional: you can add half a cup of potatoes, sugar, peanuts, and lemon juice. If you choose to add potatoes, add ¼ cup of water and close the lid for 10 minutes to allow the potatoes to cook fully. Add half a cup of chopped onions and sauté for 5–6 minutes. To this, add the flattened rice (washed) and close the lid. Let it cook for 5–10 minutes.
FAQs
Which cities in India have the best street food?
There are many cities in India that have the best street food. But to narrow it down we would say Indore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.
Which is the national street food of India?
If we have to select one, we would go with pani puri as the national street food of India.
Is Indian street food healthy?
Not all of the street food is healthy but you can find healthy street food like idli sambar, poha, etc.
