10 Lip Smacking Street Food From Kolkata City

Kolkata is a city which is rich in culture. The denizens here also known to have a taste for food, especially street food. You will find countless vendors dotting almost every nook and cranny of the city selling an array of sumptuous snacks. Every street side snack here is rich in spices, is very tangy, and yet is very distinct from one other. Here we look at none lip-smacking street food of Kolkata that simply must try.

Jhal Muri

A street snack that is amazingly ubiquitous. From roadside stalls to bus stops to railway stations, Jhal Muri can be literally found in every single corner of Kolkata. Consisting of a mixture of puffed rice, fried dal, peanuts, chopped onions, bhujia, coriander, a variety of spices, along with mustard oil, Jhal Muri is served in a paper bag and is the cheapest and the most regularly consumed snack by Kolkatans.

Churmur

While Paani Puri might be found everywhere in India, Churmur is novel to Kolkata. A variation of Paani Puri, or Phuchka, as it is known here, Churmur involves crushing the ingredients of Puchka and adding a dose of chutney, along with lemon juice on top of it to make it extra delicious. This crunchy snack is extremely piquant and leaves your taste buds completely tingled.

Kathi Roll

Over the last couple of decades, the Kathi Roll has become the staple street side snack for Kolkata; especially during holiday seasons and festivals like the Durga Puja. Different variations of the Kathi Roll are found in several street stalls and even famous restaurants across the city. This is essentially a paratha that is wrapped in a variety of fillings like chicken, mutton, egg and paneer, and is then consumed by holding it in the hand. Kathi Rolls are a delicious albeit very oily street food that can be enjoyed especially on late afternoons and evenings.

Ghugni Chat

Prepared with yellow or white peas, this tasty street snack goes several decades back. Piping hot peas are mixed with onions, tomatoes, coriander along with imli (tamarind) water and lemon juice and served in a leaf bowl to make the perfect Ghugni Chat.

Chops

Also called as Telebhaja here, the chops are of different variety in Kolkata: aloo chop, beguni, vegetable chop and mochar chop. Depending on the name, the chop is prepared. These deep fried snacks mainly consist of potatoes, along with items like fish, brinjal, beet or eggs, depending on the variety you choose. Generally eaten along with puffed rice, these very inexpensive chops can also be eaten alone and are easily available on almost every roadside stall.

Chowmein

This Chinese dish is one of the most popular street foods of Kolkata. Prepared simply with fried noodles mixed with some veggies and egg or chicken, depending on the requirement, chow, as the dish is famously known here, is quite oily and a bit grayish in color. But it is still very filling as one plate has great quantity and is very cheap.

Cholar Daal and Kochuri

This has been the staple morning and evening snack for countless Kolkatans for decades now. Kochuri is primarily a puri sabzi as is found in North India, but here the sabzi is generally cholar daal. The puris vary in size in different places but this snack is relatively inexpensive and quite filling.

Momo

Kolkata’s love for Chinese delicacies has introduced Momo into its street food culture over the past decade. In its Kolkatan variation, momos are stuffed with veggies or chicken, and are either served steamed or fried. These little dumplings are considered healthy and when taken in with chili sauce, taste quite delicious.

Ghoti Gorom

This extremely lightweight snack is basically a mixture of salted chanachur or sev, along with onions and green chilies. The standout factor of Ghoti Gorom, though, comes from makok fruit, or amra, as it is known here, which, when squeezed over it, gives the snack a tangy flavor. Ghoti Gorom is served in a small paper bag and can really prickle your tastebuds while you while your time alone.

Radha Bollobi Alur Tarkari

This has been the traditional Bengali morning snack, especially relished during winters. This delicacy basically consists of two large deep fried puris served with alu sabzi or alu dum which is garnished with coriander and is mostly found in sweet shops during early mornings.