Street Food in India

Street food is an essential part of experiencing a new destination and its diverse culture but in India, street food is something more than just that. Here, Indian street food is a way of life. Every region, state, and even city has its own delicacies that are adored by locals that will tell you that the street food in their town is better than anything else you might try in India. And they are all right.

Most Indian street food dishes consist of simple, easy-to-make dishes but that doesn’t mean that they won’t explode releasing an array of rich, exotic flavors in your mouth and leave you craving for more. India is like a giant, tasty labyrinth whose only exit is to eat your way out.

I spent a year in India and was fortunate enough to travel across the country and taste hundreds of different Indian street food dishes and in this article, I’ll share my 74 favorites. I know it’s very long, but if it was shorter it wouldn’t do any justice to the dishes that would get leaved out. So from the delicious cheeses of Kashmir to the Dosas of Tamil Nadu, here are the best street food dishes in India.

Pani Puri is one of the most popular street foods on the Indian subcontinent. It consists of round flatbreads (called puri) stuffed with a mix of chickpeas, onions, potatoes, chutney, chaat masala, chutney, and soupy water (pani). The mix of the ingredients, as well as the name of the dish varies from state to state. In Uttar Pradesh, this dish is known as Golgappa, in West Bengal, Phuchka, in Central India, it’s called Gup Chup, etc. Another popular Indian street food that you can find in all parts of the country is…

Aloo Chaat

Where to find it?

Across India.

This simple potato-based snack is beloved everywhere on the subcontinent from Pakistan to Tamil Nadu and from Gujarat to Bangladesh. You can find an aloo chaat stall in pretty much every city in India. Aloo chaat is made by frying cubed potatoes and adding chutney and a myriad of local spices that vary from city to city. It’s a perfect snack for any part of the day and is super tasty.

Samosa

Where to find it?

Across India.

Samosa is India’s most popular baked pastry and it’s so popular that you can find it in a lot of other places, like Burma, Indonesia, and even the southern and western parts of Africa. The pastry is stuffed with spiced potatoes, onions, peas, and lentils, and it comes in different shapes; triangular, half-moon, and cone, depending on the region. This delicious treat also happens to be one of the oldest snacks in the world.

Honey chili potato

Where to find it?

Across India.