8 cities for the best street foods in India

These famous snacks may have evolved into new avatars, but each remains a must-try Indian street food, defining its city’s culture and living. And they all have their own origin stories.

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, for it.

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.

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 in 1932. Kebabs were cooked on heavy iron skewers, then wrapped in porota for British officers on the go.

Amritsar’s Chole Kulche

Lore connects kulcha-chole to Shah Jahan, who adopted the kulcha as a breakfast/lunch item, much before it became popular in Amritsar.

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, but it became inseparable from the hill town’s identity.

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.

Lucknow’s Kebabs

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.

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. The flaky Malabar parotta has layered origins—it came with Arab traders or from the Tamil-populated Jaffna area of Sri Lanka.