Street Food Wonders of India: 2 Most Popular Dishes
Have you ever immersed yourself in a truly delectable and decadent experience of indulging in the street food of India? Be it the decadent and elegant taste of freshly prepared Jalebis floating on a pool of sugar syrup or a plate of delicious and spiced Golgappas with a filling of freshly mashed potatoes and sprouts, Indian Street food is always a wonderful delight to the senses! Indian Street food comes in varieties of different textures, forms and originates from different regions. Some of the most delicious recipes are inculcated in preparing street food and it is truly a delight to indulge in each of them! Among these, Chole Bhature and Chaat are the most popular and highly demanded street foods of India . By indulging in these two food items, one could experience a gastronomic burst of flavors and textures. The first bite itself is a venture into a journey of utmost bliss and sheer enjoyment! The way an alcohol addict experiences a feeling of flying in the air and experiencing relief internally, it is that same feeling that arises upon experiencing these foods.
Street food is something that translates to an impeccable comforting experience for someone and for some it signifies the culinary journey witnessed by the local people of a destination! Let us embark on a indulgent and decadent experience of flavours and textures as we explore my favourite street foods. I consider Chaat and Chole Bhature as my favourite street foods.
Venturing into the Two Best Street Foods of India: Chaat and Chole Bhature
- Chaat: A Soulful Explosion of Flavours:
Chaat is a popular Indian savoury item that is served in and across food stalls, food trucks and by local food vendors. This savoury snack comprises of finely chopped potatoes carefully placed on a bed of flat puris and beautifully blended with sweet and spicy chutneys, curd, pomegranate, coriander, small chickpeas and a medley of flavourful spices.Pleasurable experiences associated with Chaat arise as one takes up a spoonful comprising of all key ingredients of the mixture and as it touches the mouth, it is a soul-fulfilling experience. With each bite of puris and potatoes, one also experiences a soulful explosion of flavours by combining sweetness of curd, citrusy kick of pomegranate, calming experience of sweet chutney and the spicy burst of mint chutney and to balance all these in the palate, one has coriander leaves. Indulging in a plate of chaat is not merely limited to being a culinary delight but a beautiful assimilation of local stories embedded in each of its elements. It is a joyful experience to simply observe street vendors beautifully blend each ingredient of the chaat as if it were painting different hues on a canvas! Locals often debate regarding the authenticity of chaats from particular regions. Some state that chaats from Delhi are the original and some that nothing can beat the chaats and bhel mixes available on the streets of Mumbai. It would be safer to say that each city has its own version and they are truly unique in themselves. Some versions include soft and chewy textures of the puris combined with a sweet and spicy taste. While other versions include harder puris combined with a spicier and salty taste. Vendors are always open to customise the chaat as per your taste! It is simply about understanding how each element works as the entire dish!
2. Chole Bhature: A Wholesome Experience
Chole Bhature is a popular Indian savoury dish originating from the northern parts of India such as Punjab and New Delhi. This dish is popularly served across different streets and food trucks of northern India as a wholesome combination of spiced chickpeas vegetable (chana masala) and deeply fried bhaturas. The chickpeas is cooked in a manner that makes it semi-solid by beautifully combining the curry element with the cooked chickpeas and placed in a bowl alongside huge bhaturas. Chole Bhature signifies a truly wholesome experience since it satiates the senses by allowing two extreme taste palates of spice and saltiness to harmoniously coexist. The salty and oily texture of bhatura when combined with the spiced texture of chickpeas curry makes one constantly indulge in it with each passing bite! As the soft bhatura touches the palate along with hot curry, one gets the perfect opportunity to experience a gastronomy of flavors and textures! It is a heartwarming moment when the food vendor fries the bhaturas in a huge pan and makes you want to learn that fine art of frying instantly! As each dollop of oil enters the bhatura, all one imagines is the appetizing experience they are about to enter! The fluffiness of the bhatura itself is worthy of drooling over again and again. There are some people who are fascinated by its soft texture and chewiness that they also prefer eating the warm bhaturas by themselves. Combining the wholesome experience of the bhaturas and the chickpeas curry makes it a substantial nourishment which is not just delicious but wholly fulfilling. When it comes to Chole Bhature, undoubtedly they are unbeatable in taste from the streets of Delhi and are available across different areas under the names of different household vendors who have established themselves with grit and determination! This street food item has become so popular that it is preferred even by foreigners who visit India. They are flabbergasted after experiencing different flavors in just a single bite and slowly begin loving this dish. The speciality about this dish is that it can be prepared easily at home with minimal ingredients and is also made available in ready to eat variations for those looking to indulge in this experience outside India or away from the streets. All one has to do is soak the mixture in a warm container and heat it in the microwave or a hot plate. Bhaturas can be easily substituted with parathas or rotis or even rice. If you’re someone who is really conscious about their health, then you can avoid eating deep fried bhaturas and choose to eat rice or soft rotis with them. This is the speciality of street food, it goes with anything and everything and is available at affordable prices so that no one feels alienated or isolated due to its pricing. It is time that everyone explores this special aspect of India and relishes it for the rest of their lives.
Conclusion
Be it the explosion of flavours of the chaats or the wholesome delight associated with a plate of chole bhature, exploring street foods across different destinations is a true symphony of wonder! Without engaging in this experience, one could not essentially understand the significance of Indian food in its true substantial sense! It is therefore highly recommended to explore all different street food varieties of India to awaken the senses! It would appear as if one missed out on the cultural and historical complexity of India if they do not explore the different street foods across its states. It would literally feel like there is a huge deficit in understanding India in its truest sense if there is no experience with its vivid street food specialities.
