8 of the best street foods in India unique to cities

The best street food India is known for is not just a snack on the go. It is how cities tell their stories. In Delhi, chaat carries Mughal cures and Chandni Chowk chaos. In Mumbai, vada pav doubles as a worker’s fuel and a political symbol. In Kolkata, kathi rolls still bear traces of colonial improvisation.

Each plate of these famous Indian snacks is a marker of identity and rivalry, a must-try Indian street food that survives through reinvention. It is not just the dishes, but also the chutneys and pickles on the side that make these Indian snacks into everyday rituals of taste and connection. To eat them is to taste history in motion, messy and layered like the cities themselves.

Delhi’s chaat

Chaat is said to have originated during Shah Jahan’s reign in the 16th century, when  spice was prescribed against a cholera outbreak. Another account credits court physician Hakim Ali, who mixed tamarind, red chilies, coriander, and mint to contaminated water. Whatever the  origin story, chaat quickly became Chandni Chowk’s most enduring obsession. 

“I’m not sure if it helped with the cholera outbreak, but it definitely popularised the concept of putting these chutneys and spices together with curd. There’s no scientific backing to it, and chaat isn’t exactly considered healthy food today,” says Shamsul Wahid, Group Executive Chef at Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, which serves versions of the snack across all Social outlets in India. “But back then, Indians had a different immunity set and chaat wasn’t out and out junk food because regular people would burn out the calories quicker due to their more active lifestyles then.” 

Street food in Delhi still revolves around chaat. Today,  varieties like aloo tikki, dahi puri and papdi chaat remain fixtures in Old Delhi, while seasonal indulgence like  daulat ki chaat.—once said to be Shah Jahan's daughter, Jahanara’s favourite—reappears each winter in the form of  as whipped cream topped with khurchan, silver foil, and nuts. 

Modern restaurants like Bhawan in Gurugram reimagine chaat with  dahi gujiya,  Kanpur-style gadbad chaat, raj kachori, palak patta chaat and even kurkure bhindi chaat.  

Where to try it:Hira Lal Chat Corner in Chawri Bazaar, Maan Singh Halwai in Jangpura, Odeon Sweets in Gole Market, Bishan Swaroop Chaat Bhandar in Chandni Chowk (for shakarkandi chaat), or Ashok Chat Corner in Bazar Sirkiwalan. 

Mumbai’s vada pav 

The vada pav was born in 1966 outside Dadar station, where Ashok Vaidya began selling spiced potato vadas pressed into pav.  For textile mill workers, it was an inexpensive, filling snack. Over time, it spread across the city. “The combination of aloo and pao is carb heavy, making it ideal for those with intensive labour,” says Wahid.

 Shiv Sena also played a role in popularising vada pav in Maharashtra, elevating it into a symbol of Marathi pride, encouraging entrepreneurship around it over the years.  

Wahid points out that the real secret is not just the potato but the pav: slightly sour, soft, and stretchy. ”  “The slightly crispy vada texture goes well with the soft, where you get bits of the garlic chutney or chilli or both in each bite, breaking the monotony of eating it.. “Delhi suffers because they can’t replicate the Mumbai pao.   The vada-bread ratio needs to be correct–the bread shouldn’t be the last thing you’re chewing.” 

In Mumbai, vada pav refuses to stay static. Street vendors rework it consistently, from Schezwan vada pav to nacho vada pav topped with tortilla chips, and even a brioche-bun vada pav experiment which sparked outrage online for overmodernising  of the best street foods in India. 

Where to try it:Aaram Milk Bar opposite CST railway station; Ashok Vada Pav near Kirti College, Dadar; Anand Stall in Vile Parle; Ladu Samrat, Lalbaug; Ganesh Vadapav Center in Navi Mumbai; and Worli Vada Pav Kendra, Worli.

Kolkata’s Kathi roll 

The kathi roll, one of the must-try Indian street foods, is said to have originated at Nizam’s Restaurant in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1932. Kebabs were first cooked on heavy iron skewers, then wrapped  in slightly sweet, flaky porota for British officers on the go. Later, bamboo skewers—or ‘kathi’ in Bengali—gave the dish its name.

“Street food needs to be functional. Like the puchka which you just pop in your mouth. Or the travel-friendly kachori. So, putting kebabs in paranthas to make a roll makes it an on-the-go dish,” says Wahid. 

Traditionally,  a kathi roll featured charcoal-grilled mutton kebabs,  later adapted with chicken, onions, lime, and chillies. 

Today, chicken, mutton, chowmein, or butter chicken rolls dominate the stalls across the city, especially among students and younger eaters. Purists, however, insist that a kathi roll should mean meat or egg wrapped in paratha, not fusion fillings—a tension that defines street food in Kolkata today.  

Where to try it:Anamika Roll Centre, New Alipore; Hot Kati Rolls, Park Street; Kusum Rolls, Park Street; Campari Gariahat; Nizam’s; Dharmatala.  

Lucknow’s Kebabs

It is believed that when Lucknow’s Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula lost his teeth in the 18th century, his chefs invented galouti kebabs so soft that they would melt in the mouth. Minced mutton, raw papaya tenderiser, and a blend of spices gave birth to a street food legend. 

Over time, other varieties emerged. tunde ke kebab, with its secret spice blend,; Kakori Kebab, made with mutton thigh and kidney fat and Shammi Kebabs  with lentils and minced meat. Together, they  cementing Lucknow’s place on the map of must-try Indian street food.

“Melt-in-your-mouth kebabs were born out of the need for protein for the king who lost his teeth. But today, they lose out of functionality–and hence there are fewer takers of galauti kebab outside of Lucknow,” says Wahid.  “Same with tunde and kakori kebabs. They don’t have the same status of mutton seekh or paneer and chicken tikka, because it’s still considered more premium.” 

Kebabs are hence available at fine-dining establishments with restaurants like Bukhara (ITC Maurya) and Indian Accent boasting of it, while there have also been innovative spins like cheese-filled kebabs and Rajma Galouti Kebabs. 

Where to try it: Tunday Kababi, Akbari Gate; Dastarkhwan, Kaiserbagh; Naushijaan, Kaiserbagh Officer's Colony, Hazratganj; Daal Mein Kaala, behind Tulsi Cinema, Hazratganj. 

Jaipur’s Pyaaz Kachori 

Rajasthan’s dry climate made preserved and fried foods practical, and the Marwari community turned the kachori into an enduring snack.  In Jaipur, the pyaaz kachori became the most recognisable version, its flaky crust stuff with spiced onions and potatoes.  “Kachori can be had with a wide range of chutneys or curries, making it versatile too. Even the fillings can be played around with–there’s peas or onion or just masala or potato or even podi”.

The Marwari and Jain communities popularised moong dal and urad dal Kachoris, while Jodhpur is known for its mawa kachori dipped in sugar syrup and stuffed with  khoya and nuts. 

Today, modern spins include pizza kachori, corn-cheese kachori, and even “pyaaz kachori taquitos,” though the classic version remains one of the must-try Indian street foods. 

Where to try it: Rawat Mishtan Bhandar, Station Road; Kota Ratan Ki Kachori, Amrapali Marg, Manpura; Sampat Kachori and Namkeen Bhandar, Chandpole; Khunteta Namkeen Bhandar, Kishanpole Bazaar. 

Darjeeling’s Momo 

It’s a popular belief that the Momo arrived in India with  Tibetan refugees and Nepali traders in the 1960s, settling most firmly in Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Ladakh. Its origins are debated—Nepal Tibet, even China—but what’s clear is how quickly the dumpling became inseparable from the hill town’s identity.   “Only the Jhol momo originates from Nepal. The momo we eat in Darjeeling and Kalimpong may have roots in China itself,” says Nicole Juneja, co-founder of Mood, a cloud kitchen bringing  Darjeeling flavours to Delhi. Recipes for momo vary from family to family, giving the dish endless versions.

Traditionally,  Tibetan momo were filled with yak , lamb, or beef with vegetables, while the Newar community of Kathmandu added  their own spiceblends. to the mix. What truly defines Darjeeling’s version is the chutney— tomato sharpened with dalle chilli. “You can’t have momo without the spicy chutney,” Juneja adds. 

“Momo became a popular street food when people realised the yin and yang of the flavours: The piping hot and reasonably bland but juicy momo with spicy chutney. It’s soul soothing and quick gratification today,” says Wahid “There was some novelty to momo in the 2000s, when people in North India moved on from chowmein and chop suey. And today, dim sum, which is more advanced and chic,  isn’t as popular as a street food item because it’s quick dispensing as most of the preparation earlier, leaving it ideal to be heated up and served on the go.”

Fillings have since evolved — paneer, chocolate, even burger and pizza versions. But in Darjeeling’s lanes, the most authentic momo still comes from hole-in-the-wall shops, many run by women passing down recipes across generations. 

Where to try it: Niniaji’s Momo Shop, Rai Building; Kunga Restaurant, Gandhi Road; Soaltee Restaurant, Bazar; Darjeeling Momo's Shop, New Manglapuri; or most hole-in-the-wall eateries helmed by women. 

Amritsar’s Chole Kulche 

For many in Amritsar, kulcha-chole is less a dish and more a daily rhythm: hot bread, spiced chole, and a generous hand with butter. Lore connects the dish to Shah Jahan, who adopted the kulcha as a breakfast/lunch item, much before it became popular in Amritsar. 

"Das kulcha is believed to have come around as a naturally fermented dough with chana dal water and fennel water in it–makes sense since chana water might have protein which supports the structure of the kulcha and fennel acts as an aromat. But the flaky or puff pastry-based Amritsari Kulcha is very different from the Das Kulcha, which is more of a fermented bread,” says Wahid.  “Today, there are places that follow the traditional natural fermentation but there’s also people who use soda to give the dough a rise quickly," says Wahid. 

A kulcha is usually stuffed with potatoes, onions and paneer, and served with a generous dollop of butter, chutneys, and lemon wedges. But today, the traditional kulcha has undergone quite a metamorphosis. Modern spins range from pizza kulchas to butter chicken kulchas in fine-dining restaurants like Indian Accent, but the heart of the dish remains in Amritsar’s lanes. 

Where to try it: Pehalwan Kulcha, near the Golden Temple and in Nimak Mandi; Ashok Matthi Kulcha, Lohgarh Chowk, Amritsar Cantt; Kesar Da Dhaba, Gali Rajpura; Kulwant Kulche Wale, Bazar Bikaneria. 

Kerala’s Beef Fry with Malabar parotta and egg puffs

Kerala beef fry traces back to Jewish settlers in AD 7 and Syrian Christians in AD 52, who bought slow-roasting techniques. Cooked in coconut oil with  curry leaves, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, and coconut slivers, the dish became a toddy shop staple, eaten alongside flaky Malabar parotta. he parotta itself has layered origins—some say it came with Arab traders, others  from the Tamil-populated Jaffna area of Sri Lanka.. Either way,  by the 1970s it was Kerala’s street bread. 

“Beef fry and Malabar parotta are quintessential toddy shop snacks, the spice levels working well with fresh toddy,” says Ruchira Hoon, chef-owner at Delhi’s Draavin Canteen.“A tropical beef fry needs to have some coconut, onion and a peppery taste. It has to be cooked in coconut oil and roasted well (and hence dark in colour). There are two ways of making Malabar Parotta–with maida and eggs which makes it fluffy, or with flour and milk, and it has to be flaky, fluffy, crispy, and soft all at the same time. Egg puffs are a popular snack across all bakeries in Kerala,” she adds. Kerala’s bakeries added another layer with egg puffs, a colonial pastry adapted with spiced eggs in place of meat or vegetables. Today, beef fry, parotta, and egg puffs sit together as shorthand for Kerala’s food culture — everyday snacks, yet loaded with history and identity.

Where to try it: Fathimas Fast Food in Fort Kochi, Malu Tea Shop in Kollam, Pottan's Hotel in Kodungallur, besides small tea shops in Kollam and Kodungallur.

“For most street food, the secret doesn’t lie in the recipes but also whether it hits  your dopamine. The sizzle, the smell and seeing the process. Someone who grew up eating vada pao in Bandra will not have the same nostalgic connect or dopamine hit with a Delhi preparation or a bonda,” says Wahid. 

The best street food in India is more than a line-up of snacks. Each dish carries the imprint of migration, adaptation, and politics. Chaat in Delhi, vada pav in Mumbai, kathi rolls in Kolkata — all show how food becomes shorthand for a city itself. These must-try Indian street foods prove the quickest way to know a place is still at its street stalls.