Sharing Words | November prompt
Street Food Special: Drool Away, My Dears!
Ten photos of different foods
Food. Such a diverse topic. Aren’t we lucky that we can experience dishes from all over the world? These days, even the most exotic recipes can be ordered online from our favorite restaurants.
But there’s nothing compared to actually eating it at its place of origin — often the streets. Delicious, fresh, prepared in front of you — which is in itself therapeutic to watch. And the anticipation as you see the dish coming together is just exciting!
Let’s take a trip to some of the most common street foods in India. The wonderful thing is, each one of the following dishes could be anywhere in India, and that’s the beauty of our diverse country. Whether you are in the North, South, East, or West, you’ll find a regional version of it — just as yummy as its “parent”.
Who’s complaining? Not me.
Onward to the food already!
1. Spicy mirchi bajji (fritters)
This dish is a favorite for all ages, bringing back school-day nostalgia as we recall the hawkers near the gate with their huge vats of oil busy frying the batter-dipped stuffed Hungarian wax peppers — and serving them piping hot on newspaper napkins. And no, we never worried about being served on newspapers. This spicy Indian delicacy is said to have its origins in the Indian state of Rajasthan, where one can enjoy many more culinary delights. Whether you eat the mirchi bajji at home, on the street, or in a posh hotel, it tastes just as delicious even if it sometimes makes your eyes and nose water. Best enjoyed on a rainy day with a cup of hot masala chai!
It is popular as a street food both in large exhibitions and well, on the street. People flock around the cart to get their fill, and sometimes parcel some to take home. Yum!
2. Masala dosa/dosa
Again, another dish prepared with fermented batter usually made with rice, black gram, fenugreek and poured over a griddle — and one you can find anywhere from street carts (as you can see above) to seven-star hotels. Suits every budget. Our city has fast food outlets called “Darshinis” where the staples are dosa, idli, poori, vada, tea and coffee. Most serve many more dishes but these are the fastest moving.
Very tasty, fresh and served with coconut chutney and sambar, usually. They can be the size of the plate or about five times bigger — amazing to enjoy those. You can enjoy a dosa everywhere in India, but they taste best in the South. It is a delight to watch the chef pour out seven or eight dosas on the griddle after sprinkling it with water to check its heat, and deftly flipping them over — for the enjoyment of the customer. How they remember all those orders is beyond me!
That street cart is in the lane near my place and the dosas on the right are from a “heritage” hotel — Janata Hotel — a rather nondescript place tucked among the shops in our area.
3. Samosas and cutlets
Who doesn’t love samosas? I can confess that if you come bearing samosas and coffee, you can have my heart. Hehe! Love this fried goodness stuffed with masala-fried mashed potatoes. And to embellish it further, the chef sprinkles it with cheese and other stuff. At the sides, are cutlets made with mixed veggies which will be served sandwiched in bread.
I no longer eat street food when I travel but I certainly love to take photos. This stall at the fringe of the idyllic Corbyn’s Cove Beach, Port Blair in the Andaman Islands does crazy business with a long line of hungry people waiting for their orders. The cook is ever-smiling as he kneads, rolls, fries, flips, and serves innumerable plates of yummy food to a highly appreciative clientele.
4. Stuffed capsicum bajji (bell pepper bajji)
We enjoyed this delight at a book exhibition when we attended a friend’s bookstall. On principle, all exhibitions at the Palace grounds near our place have a food court. I suspect most people turn up just for that. The variety is mind-boggling. This photo shows bell peppers stuffed with chopped onions and other masalas, dipped in batter, and fried in oil. Then, they are sliced in half and served with a sprinkling of shredded carrots and onions. They taste amazing.
The food stalls at these food courts are highly innovative and come up with unique dishes — mostly fried, fattening and immensely beloved. We enjoyed an evening of good food, good friends and good books. What else could one possibly want?
5. Pakoda
On our way back from Chidiya Tapu beach and a fabulous sunset in the Andaman Islands, we were just wishing for a cup of tea or coffee when we spotted a group of shops on the highway serving just that. Excited, we stopped and enjoyed vadas and pakodas. Pakodas are basically shredded veggies with onions mixed in a tight chickpea flour batter and fried. On that cool evening, they went down very well with the hot tea, which we enjoyed watching the waves gently lapping the shore.
Pakodas are popular street food and are found — you guessed it — everywhere in India. We make them at home; hotels serve them and of course, it is a street food staple.
6. Jalebi
Another favorite delicacy is the jalebi — sweet, syrupy. Here we see it featured on the plate with samosas near the Hundru Falls in Ranchi, Jharkhand. I told you samosas are everywhere! It was mesmerizing to watch the husband-wife duo frying away — and even more amazing to watch them fly off the plate.
On another side of the large hut, a massive pot of potatoes was being boiled for the next batch and batter was being mixed for the jalebis.
Jalebis taste great with a glass of milk, as you’ll find in North India. Elsewhere, they are a sweet dish enjoyed as is. I think the best ones were from a street stall in Hyderabad, where I spent several years. It is believed that the slightly sour syrup of Jalebis is good for tummy health. Can you think of a nicer way to good health?
7. Pav bhaji
I ate my first pav bhaji (from a family of savory snacks called chaat — which also consists of bhel puri, pain puri, sev puri, dahi puri, etc.) in Mumbai, where I was born. Since then, I’ve eaten it in every city I have lived in or visited. Universally loved, chaat is a street food available all over India. One will especially find this where crowds are popular — movie theaters, shopping malls, markets, etc. These days, even weddings with buffets have a chaat stall!
The dish is basically mashed potatoes and chickpeas cooked and sauteed on a large griddle, then served with bread toasted with butter, a side of chopped onions and lemon slices. Drool! Filling, and scrumptious! This photo is from when we visited the flower show at the Lalbagh Botanical gardens in Bangalore.
8. Chana, peanuts, gram
This cart you’ll see all over the place. Peanuts, roasted gram, etc. all roasted in salt on the spot and served in paper cones. Cheap, healthy, hot and tasty. Never let it be said that street food is unhealthy! These give you your dose of protein for the day at an affordable price in an enjoyable way. No mess too! This cart is a regular at our local market and every local market in India. Kids love it!
9. Fresh salad and fruit
Gotta love the sight of fresh cucumber and pineapple (and mango and watermelon and papaya) laid out attractively on a banana leaf. Customers will be served the fruit or cucumber with a sprinkling of their magic masala that goes so well with the crunchy texture. We enjoyed the pineapple at the Lalbagh Botanical gardens when we took some guests there. I have also enjoyed these in the market in other cities. Universal appeal. Diabetes-friendly. Bliss.
10. Tender Coconuts
Let it not be said that I served up savories and a sweet with nothing to drink! Tender coconuts are a common sight everywhere. It is fascinating to watch the vendor deftly slice the top off, stick a straw in it and hand it over. Oh, they will ask you if you want one with just the water or the tender coconut too. If you opt for the tender coconut too, after you’ve enjoyed the water, they’ll split the coconut in two and scoop the layer of tender coconut and serve it to you in one half of the coconut.
Refreshing, healthy, safe to drink thanks to nature’s impeccable packaging, and available wherever you go. There are sellers who are ready to home deliver them daily, did you know? How wonderful is that!
. . . . Or you can finish off with coffee — which is what I led with, right on top. Because coffee rules all food!
I hope you enjoyed that tasty trip!
Thank you, Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages for the fabulous prompt: The goal is to share 10 photos of different food, then describe where it is from.
Enjoy B.R. Shenoy’s yummy story here:
Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles ❤ Did you smile today?
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