14 Popular Street Foods of India, Indian Roadside Food

Popular street foods of India, popular roadside food of India. Chaat is a term that is very tightly bound with Indian Cuisine. Traditionally street food, chaat has now found a place at famous restaurants, parties and weddings the world over. These savory snacks are as plenty as they are popular. Each part of India has its own provincial chaats, using local ingredients and seasonal veggies or fruits too.

Various types of savories, chutneys, spice powders and fresh produce are deftly arranged on dishes in such a way that the appearance and aroma lure passers-by to the vendor. The chaatwala works like a magician, briskly mixing the perfect ingredients in the perfect quantities, sprinkling the right masalas, and loading just the right amount of the right toppings, in a suave fashion that holds your attention.

Aloo Aur Shakarkand ki Chaat

What if we help you recreate the chaatwala’s street food magic in your own kitchen with ease? Yes, here we have some amazing chaats that will add a thousand chatpata moments to your life. Try innovative recipes like the Aloo aur Shakarkand ki Chaat, those with an international touch like the Chinese Bhel and our indigenous all-time favourites like the Sev Puri.

Sev Puri ( Chaat Recipe )

Popular Indian Roadside Vada Pav

Who doesn’t know Vada Pav? This needs no introduction. Being one of the cheapest street side food of India, it is called as the poor man’s burger. People enjoy it for breakfast, snacks, lunch or any time of the day. Aloo is flavoured with lots of garlic and freshly chopped green chillies, coated with besan batter and deep-fried. It is served between a pav which has a layer of sweet chutney, green chutney and red chutney.

Vada Pav, Mumbai Roadside Recipe

Popular Indian Roadside Bhajji Pav

Similarly, Aloo Bhajji Pav is also a famous roadside recipe, made and sold by the same vendor who sells Vada Pav. In this potato slices are besan dipped and deep-fried. They are served the same way as Vada Pav – in between ladi pav which is layered with a variety of chutneys.

Aloo bhajias are also replaced with crisp bhajias made with sliced onions. Here besan and a host of masalas are mixed together and fried to perfection to make Kanda Bhaji Pav. This Maharashtrian delicacy is many people’s favourite food on the road. In Mumbai, every street and corner will have one vendor selling these Kanda Bhajias. Well, the choice of ladi pav is totally yours. If you wish you can enjoy the bhajias with chutneys as it is. A cup of cutting chai with Kanda Bhaji Pav is a breakfast in Mumbai.

Masala Chai Or Masala Tea

Popular Indian Roadside Samosa

Ever popular deep fried samosas are aloo and green pea stuffing inside a crisp covering of maida. They are another pick-me-up snacks on the streets of India. Famous more in the Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat, its taste is unbeatable, especially if it is freshly deep-fried. This can be served in between ladi pav as well.

Punjabi Samosa

Popular Indian Roadside Sandwhiches

Ladi Pav replaces sliced bread in this roadside delicacy. There are a varieties of sandwiches available on the roads of India. But to make the perfect roadside style Sandwich, you first need to master making the Green chutney for Sandwich. This chutney is not made with only coriander. It has some spinach and bread slices to get that perfect texture. In fact, the vendors often add only the crust of the bread slices which remains behind and is usually of no use to them. Now you know the reason behind the mesmerizing flavours of the roadside sandwich.

Green Chutney ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes)

Once you have mastered this, learn to make the famous Sandwich Masala. This is another secret behind the Popular Roadside Sandwich. It takes only 5 minutes to make this recipe at home. Try it out…

Sandwich Masala ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes )

Now you are ready to explore the varieties of sandwiches. Vegetable Sandwich, popularly known as sada sandwich on the streets of Mumbai, is a delight to bit into. Indeed, this tongue-tickling delight is a great hit with people of all age groups. It is quick and easy, and makes a really fuss-free, flavour-packed evening snack.

Vegetable Sandwich ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes )

You like hot snacks? Try out the Veg Toast Sandwich. The same plain sandwich is toasted in a hand toaster and garnished with sev for added flavour and crunch. Make sure this veg toast sandwich is served immediately upon toasting, because the chutneys will tend to make the crisp bread soggy after a while.

Veg Toast Sandwich, Mumbai Roadside Recipe

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Another option is Vegetable Cheese Grilled Sandwich. Made with big slices of triangular bread, one sandwich is like a meal in itself. It is for all cheese lovers. It is a popular snack sold on the streets of India, and is enjoyed piping hot by pedestrians, kids and people returning from office in the evening.

Vegetable Cheese Grilled Sandwich

Popular Indian Roadside Chaat

In Mumbai you often hear ‘bhaiya thoda teekha banana’, ‘bhaiya kothmir mat dalna’ and bhaiya aloo jyada dalna’, then you are at a chaat stall. From Sukha Bhel to Geela Bhel and Sev Puri to Pani Puri, all are the famous Indian Roadside Chaat recipes. The word ‘chatpata’ and chaat go hand in hand. The word chaat means sev, puri, chutneys, fried masala dal, masala peanuts etc. And all of these combined in any form is sure to adorable. These are famous in west and north of India, especially Maharashtra and Delhi.

Pani Puri, Mumbai Roadside Pani Puri, Golgappa

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Here to make these Indian chaats, again you need to master the art of making Meetha Chutney, Green Chutney and Spicy Garlic Chutney. We even get ready made chutney’s in the market, but the home-made meetha chutney tastes excellent!!

Khajur Imli ki Chutney

The bhaiyas who make these chaats, also use a masala powder, which lends these chaats their uniqueness. Learn how to make this Dry Masala Powder for Chaat with step-by-ste photos.

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It is difficult to make the chutneys and dry masala powder in very small quantities, so you can make a little more as shown here and store the remaining quantities in dry airtight containers in the fridge to use later.

Oh! Don’t miss out on trying Ragda Pattice on the roads of Mumbai. Aloo tikka topped with vatana gravy and a host of spices, it is truly enticing. While it kindles your appetite with its tongue-tickling flavours, ragda pattice is also filling enough to appease your hunger!

Ragda Pattice

Dahi Kachori is famous on the streets of Delhi and other northeren regions in India. Like sev puri is to Mumbai, Dahi Kachori is to Delhi. It is a perfect raj kachori which is flaky and filled with moong, yellow moong moong dal stuffing and topped with chtuneys, sev and jeera powder. One Dahi Kachori is enough to satiate your hunger and taste buds both.

Dahi Kachori ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes )

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Popular Indian Roadside Dabeli

Another delicacy made with ladi pav – Dabeli. A famous recipe from the land of Kutch, Gujarat, this is also relished by people roadside. This is at par in price with Vada Pav and thus savoured by many frequently. Stuffed with aloo filling but uniquely flavoured with dabeli masala, it is cooked in butter on the huge tava in fron of you and served hot.

Dabeli ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes )

Popular Indian Roadside Dosas

Staple to South of India, dosas have now become popular all over India. Rice and urad dal are soaked, methi seeds are added and the batter allowed to ferment before making yummy dosas. It is one of the satiating delicacy, ften enjoyed by people at any time of the day hunger strikes. The Plain Dosa is the basic variety. Some prefer a ‘kadak dosa’ which means crisp, while the others enjoy soft dosa.

Plain Dosa or Sada Dosa

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For paneer lovers, Mumbai street side vendors make Paneer Dosa. The dosa batter is the same, just that it is flavoured to suit different choices and different palates. It has a paneer chilli stuffing which is lined with shredded veggies, chilli garlic sauce, tomato ketchup and some chilli powder and garam masala.

Paneer Dosa, Paneer Chilli Dosa, Mumbai Street Food

Schezwan Chopsuey Dosa is a Indo-Chinese blend. The famous Schezwan Chopsuey is made on the tava in front of you and stuffed into South Indian dosa. This dosa, in reality, needs no accompaniment like chutney and sambhar. It is a busrt of flavours by itself.

Schezuan Chopsuey Dosa, Mumbai Roadside Schezwan Dosa Recipe

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Popular Indian Roadside Pav Bhaji

Even a kid in India is a fan of Pav bhaji. While they enjoy it less spicy, adults love to indulge into its spicy version till they start sweating. It has its own unique aroma and taste. The inimitable flavour of this Indian Roadside recipe is Pav Bhaji Masala. Buy the readymade masala or grind your own one.

Pav Bhaji ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes )

Cooked with butter, topped with butter and served with butter-laden pav – that’s Mumbai roadside Pav Bhaji. Pav Bhaji is more than a mere snack! it’s a quick meal that can be grabbed on the go – since large portions of the bhaji are made in advance and simply reheated with a few spices before serving.

Pav Bhaji Masala, Homemade Pav Bhaji Masala

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Popular Indian Roadside Chinese Recipes

Indians have learnt to accept flavours across the world. They love their food and love to try and adapt to other tastes as well. Thus Chinese ‘rekdis’ are also very popular across India.

Tossed in a wok in front of us, these Chinese Hakka Noodles are very famous among children. The addition of veggies to make them attractive too.

Hakka Noodles, Chinese Hakka Noodle Recipe

Schezwan Noodles is yet another matchless Chinese recipe sold roadside in India. Without any doubt, it is the most popular dish. Schezwan sauce and chilli oil is what lends that irreplaceable taste to it.

Schezuan Noodles, Chinese Schezwan Noodle Recipe

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As an accompaniment to these Noodles, what’s sold more commonly on roads of India is Veg Manchurian. You cannot miss the inimitable smell of cooking garlic, onions and chillies of veg manchurian recipe, which will grab your attention even from 500 metres away!

Veg Manchurian

Chinese Bhel is another Popular Indian Roadside Snack. Readymade fried noodles are tossed with cabbage and spring onion whites along with Schezwan Sauce, chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, soy sauce and vinegars. Yes, these many sauces. That’s what makes this Chinese Bhel a quick snack on the go!

Chinese Bhel ( Chinese Recipe )

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Popular Indian Roadside in Gujarat

Now this is more famous in the state of Gujarat in India. The soft spongy Nylon Khaman Dhokla, is what Gujarati’s don’t miss out on any occasion, which includes even a Sunday morning.

Nylon Khaman Dhokla

Similarly, ponkh, when in season in winter, is twisted to make Ponkh Bhel. Ponkh means tender jowar, also called as hurda. It is tossed with chutneys, onions, tomato, chaat masala, coriander and mimosa sugar balls to make a unique kind of bhel we can say.

Ponk Bhel, Hurda Bhel

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Other Popular Indian Roadside Recipes

Crunchy to the core, and as tongue-tickling snack one can enjoy Masala Khichia Papad in different ‘khau gallis’ across Mumbai. Readymade khichiya papad are roasted on an open flame and topped with onions, tomatoes, chutney, sev and lemon juice and served. It is too flavourful to be resisted, though it’s just a tickle to the taste buds and not a filling snack.

Masala Khichiya Papad ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes )

A way to end on a sweet note in these ‘khau gallis’ is Falooda. Made in a jiffy, it is rose milk flavoured with subza, falooda sev, jelly cubes and further a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. A glass of this Falooda and then you ought to go home walking. You will be that satiated.

Falooda ( Mumbai Roadside Recipes )

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Enjoy all these Popular Indian Roadside Foods in the comfort of your own kitchen. Do share your suggestions with us.