Indian food is known for being flavorful. Even the snacks are just as popular as the main dishes. Indian cuisine draws influences from the Mughal, Britain, Persia, France, and Portugal. At the same time, the country has an abundance of ingredients, spices, and cooking styles that take these influences and make them into something uniquely theirs.
Within India’s densely populated areas are some of the best food stalls, markets, and restaurants that serve different types of food. In these places are locals, travelers, and foreigners who are looking to satiate their hunger. For non-natives, some dishes in Indian cuisine might be too intense or too different from what they are accustomed to. However, there are a few popular snacks that seem to be popular among them. In the following sections, there are a few examples of dishes that everyone can’t seem to get enough of.
Fried Snacks And Small Bites
There are many different types of snacks in Indian cuisine. Below are a few examples of snacks that even non-natives love. Do note that the recipes of some may vary depending on the available ingredients in a specific region. Likewise, there are meatless options for some of these to accommodate the needs of the big population of vegetarians in India.
Fried snacks
India has a wide selection of fried snacks. These are relatively easy to make and are readily available at street stalls. Bhaji are spicy fritters made of potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and chili. Panipuri is popular even in the neighboring countries of Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. It is a fried crispy shell filled with a mixture of chaat masala, onions, potatoes, chili, and chickpeas. It is usually drizzled with tamarind chutney. Kachori from Rajasthan is made of lentils, onion, and spices. The mixture is made into a ball, flattened, deep-fried, and served with mint or tamarind sauce.
The most popular deep-fried snack would have to be the samosa. It is a triangle-shaped pastry filled with a mixture of chickpeas, onions, lentils, and ground meat. The stuffing may vary depending on who is making it.
Small Bites
The Papadum is a flatbread made by grilling in a tandoor. It contains chickpea, gram, or rice flour and is cooked until crisp. It can be used in many ways: as a scooping utensil when eating a savory dish, on its own, or dipped in sauces and chutneys. Its subtle taste is what allows it to be used in various ways. Papadums are popular even among foreigners because it has just the right amount of flavor—not too savory, but enough flavor to keep people wanting more.
Momos have origins that can be traced back to Tibet. It’s a dumpling and can be filled with different ingredients. It is usually served with garlic sauce and chili sauce. The popular choice for a hearty snack is the vada pav. It consists of bite-sized patties made of potatoes, chili, and coriander that are deep-fried. These fried patties are placed in bread buns (pav) with a special sauce on the side.
Bombay mix, also known as chevdo, is a snack made of a mixture of dried and fried ingredients like peanuts, lentils, chickpeas, puffed rice, and fried onion. This highly addictive snack is usually served in a paper cone on the streets!
Masala papad is a dish made of layered crisp chips topped with onions, tomatoes, coconut, and coriander. It’s then drizzled with spices, chili, and lemon juice. Think of it as India’s version of nachos. Chaat is a generic term for snacks that combine various flavor profiles: sour, sweet, salty, and spicy. One of the most popular versions are small fried discs topped with minced or grated vegetables (onions, tomatoes, potatoes) topped with chutney and fried noodles.
From the Grill
The tikka is a type of dish that is made of meat, chicken, or fish in skewers. These are brushed with yogurt sauce then grilled in a tandoor. Tikka can be eaten by itself as a snack or with rice as a meal.
Sweet Endings
Drinks are an essential component of Indian snack time rituals. It’s easy to find people convening at street corners and dining areas while eating together, no snack time is complete without masala chai or lassi. Lassi is a yogurt-based drink with basic ingredients like yogurt, water, and spices. Salty lassi usually incorporates herbs while sweet lassi uses fruit. Non-natives love sweet lassis because they’re like milkshakes. Masala chai is another popular drink that is loved by both natives and non-natives. It is made of a mixture of black tea, milk, and some spices. It has become so popular to the extent that it’s featured in menus of cafes and restaurants of countries outside India.
One of the most popular sweet dishes of India is the gulab jamun. It is a ping-pong ball-shaped treat made of cheese and milk and soaked in syrup. It’s a popular dessert—the perfect way to end a savory meal.
Share Indian Snacks With Your Friends
Just like the rest of the country’s cuisine, the snacks of India are some of the tastiest and most flavorful an individual can encounter. The clever use of spices and fresh ingredients adds a different twist to the taste of the snacks. But just like the rest of their world, they also love deep-fried snacks. These small differences make Indian snacks worth trying. More importantly, vegans and vegetarians will not have a hard time finding a snack that can accommodate their preferences.
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