I am a big fan of street food but even more of the Indian street food. I have so many favourites and all for different reasons and different times of the day.
Chetna Makan
Samosa One of the best street food is piping hot potato stuffed Samosa. Like anything else there are lots of fillings for samosas found all over the country but my most favourite is the one with potatoes and peas filling. It goes so well with the crispy outside and eaten best with coriander and spinach chutney and tamarind chutney. It is just brilliant to start the day with these crispy parcels.
Jalebi If you are at a samosa stall for breakfast then jalebi could not be far behind. I can understand if you think it can't be breakfast but believe me the whole combination of hot samosas followed by piping hot jalebi for breakfast is the best thing ever. Usually sold on the same stall this is a winning combination.
Medu vada and sambhar These are moriesh and most flavourful of all street foods. Extremely popular all over the world, its the kind of food that can be eaten any time of the day. I love it for breakfast, the crispy vada topped with spicy sambhar and creamy coconut chutney. All amazingly flavoured with curry leaves.
Vada Pav Another mid day treat is vada pav which is one of the simplest yet most delicious of street foods. They can be found all over Mumbai and becoming increasingly popular all over the country. It is great for anytime of the day with its spicy potato balls sandwiched with garlic chutney and green mint chutney, this is a must try street food.
Puri Alu One of the things I enjoy at lunchtime is puri alu, which is a delicious potato curry served with fried flatbreads. Extremely popular meal and also super easy to make at home.
Papdi Chaat So much of the street food is small portioned light snacks and one of my favourites is papdi chaat. I used to often get this on my way back from work in the evening, just to keep me going till I got home. Super crispy crackers topped with potatoes, tamarind chutney, green chutney, yogurt and little crispy sev. So light and super delicious, a riot of flavours.
Dosa Once the batter for these is ready, the dosas are the quickest thing to make which makes them very popular as street food. So good with some sambhar and coconut chutney. These can be filled with any vegetarian or meat filling, my favourite being the classic potato filling.
Vegetable Manchurian This list would not be complete without the Indian Chinese on the list. My favourite of vegetable manchurian with any rice or noodles. Soft vegetable balls soaked in ginger rich, spicy sauce.
Vegetable chowmein with Sichuan chicken These veg noodles are ready in minutes and are just so easy to eat and enjoy on the side of a busy road with some spicy sichuan chicken.
Masala Chai The best bit of the street food is the availability of piping hot masala chai on every corner and side of any town or city. Made delicious by the hours of slow cooking of the spices with the tea and milk with lots of sugar.
All these recipes are in Chai, Chaat & Chutney.