Prior to the AIF Clinton Fellowship I had spent two years in Namibia as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I lost about 25lbs that I did not have to spare, and I needed to put back on some weight. Fortunately, for about USD$5 per day the streets of Delhi are an all you can eat buffet.
One of my goals during my AIF Fellowship is to try all of the interesting and amazing food that India has to offer, especially the street food. I am constantly amazed and impressed with the unique, delicious, inexpensive food that is ubiquitous on the streets of Delhi.
Chaat is a word used to describe some of the savory street food in India, but as it is derived from the word chattei which means to devour or to eat noisily, I think this can be applied to all street food. In no particular order, here is a list of some of the street food I have encountered so far.
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- Chaat stand in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi, where you can find almost every kind of street food Delhi has to offer.
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- Chole Bhature – $0.32
- Deep fried bread puffs served with chickpeas, sabzi, raw onions and radish, and achar.
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- Papri Chaat – $0.48
- Crunchy chips with random snacks covered in sweet and spicy chutney and dahi.
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- Deep fried things with Chutney – Samosas, Pakora, Kachori, Fried Peppers – $0.08 +
- Pakoras are deep fried fritters made of potato, spinach, onion and covered in masala seasoning and chutney.
- Samosas and deep fried triangles usually filled with aloo.
- Kachori is a deep fried circle of dough, can be filled with vegetables, and usually covered in sauce.
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- Kala Chana Usal – $0.08
- Chickpeas, tomatoes, onions mixed with lime, masala, chilies and coriander.
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- Kheer – $0.32
- Sweet pudding, served cold or warm
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- Pani Puri – $0.08
- Little hollow crispy shells filled with spicy mystery liquid.
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- Aloo Tikki Burgers – $0.32
- Crispy fried potato patty served on a toasted greasy bun with shredded lettuce, tomato and chutney.
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- Dahibala – $0.40
- Sweet yogurt, syrup, and masala covering a deep fried crispy bread.
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- Lassi – $0.40
- Sweet yogurt drink, covered in a thick later of cream, served in a variety of flavors, sometimes has fruits and nuts in it.
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- Bhel Puri – $0.16
- A mixture of many different snacks including peanuts, peas, chunna, rice puffs, and namkeen, topped with shredded onion and mixed with masala seasoning, lime juice and coriander.
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Aloo Chaat – $0.40
Fried potatoes, chickpeas, crunchy fried things, and other fun surprises topped with spicy sauces, sweet chutney, and shredded cabbage.
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Sonpapri – $0.16
Flaky sweet, kind of like cotton candy.
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Shakarkandi Ki Chaat – $0.48
Sweet yam covered in masala spices and lime juice.
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Dhokla and Khandvi – $0.08
Dhokla is a sponge cake, and Khandvi is a rolled up wonton wrapper, both mixed with lime juice, coriander, nuts, chilies and spices.
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Pav Bhaji – $0.48
Soft greasy bread served with chickpeas, sabzi, raw onions and radish, and achar.
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Puri – $0.16
Fried bread puffs served with sabzi.
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Rasmalay – $0.40
Cold, sweet cheese curd in milk.
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Vada – $0.48
Fried dough in a sweet and spicy sauce, with coconut curry and sabzis.
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Grilled corn – $0.08
Fresh corn grilled over an fire and coals, covered in lemon juice and masala seasoning.
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Coffee with Vanilla Ice Cream – $0.64
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Mango Ice Cream – $0.16
Made fresh daily.
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Sweets – $0.08 +
Cubes of sugar and dairy and spices, sometimes covered in tin foil.
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