Food is an art , food is festival , “FOOD” – the word itself has a lot meaning to it. India is diverse in various aspects, be it varying of the languages with every 100 km or be it the different unique lip-smacking street foods, which always have a higher priority than junk foods which are the hubs of several preservatives. Travelling and fooding are complimentary to each other. Almost in all the streets a lot aroma flows which creates mouth-watering greed. Street foods of this religious place are consumed without any other thought because these are meant to satiate the taste, not the stomach.
Here are some salivating street foods of Banaras , which you should not dare to miss!!
1. TAMATAR CHAAT-
Now this is actually a unique snack that you will not find so easily anywhere other than the streets of Banaras . Tamatar Chaat is not among the regular chaat with crispy Aloo Tikki skin, with a layering of sweet Yoghurt, but it is a lip-smacking interesting spicy dish made out of fried mashed tomatoes with hing, pounded ginger, green chillies and spices with the addition of boiled potatoes. It is served in a dona( bowl made with ‘ Palaash’ leaves) along with Chaat Masala and garnished with crispy Namak Parey. You can get the best of it at ‘Kaashi Chaat Bhandar’ who serves it in a Kulhadh with toppings of Green and Red Chutney . It is definitely a must try at Varanasi.
2. KACHORI SABZI-
It is the favourite breakfast of every Banarasi . Kachori is a fried bread made out of refined flour and and resembles a Poori and is stuffed with the Masala Moong Dal and is super crispy. The famous Kachori is served with a spicy sabzi prepared out of chickpeas and potatoes with hot gravy , garnished with fresh coriander leaves . This is a must on the plate of every ‘Banarasi’. It will surely disturb your calories level, but satiating the taste buds is a more serious issue.
3. MALAIYO-
Malaiyo is a sweet creamy layer prepared from the milk. It should not be confused not be confused with the Old Delhi’s ‘ Daribe ki Chaat ‘ because it is a much different food item. “Makkhan Malaiyyo” or Nimish is a popular winter street dessert. It has some traces of Persian way of cooking. It is a light and soothing dish of milk froth flavoured with Saffron and Cardamoms and garnished with pistachios and almonds. This creamy froth is surely going to melt in your mouth and you may end up finishing 4-5 “Purvas” or “Kulhadds”. One more interesting activity to witness is that the seller may add some flavoured milk also, the moment you finish the Kulhadd. You can have this dish near Godowlia Chowk.
4. THANDAI-
Thandai is a must thing to try at Varanasi because it is the “Bhole Baba Ka Prasad” in “Bhole ki Nagri”. Thandai is much more than a normal drink. It is world popular dish, which you can try with or without Bhang. Local ‘s keep on thrusting ” Baba Thandai ‘s” name when you ask for recommendations. With a good price of forty or fifty rupees for a glass, which is very tasty and refreshing with the right amount of sweet and totally worth it. Generally, ‘ Bhang-free’ Thandai is available for people, but on requirements Bhaang is available on the side for miniscule prices and they mix it for you. You can try this at Badal Thandai Ghar at Godowlia Chowk.
5. BANARASI PAAN-
The famous, ‘KHAAI KE PAAN BANARAS WAALA’ is actually a signature dish of Banaras , which also contributes to the identity of Banaras. Banarasi Paan have kattha , Chuna, Smuff, Kiwan, Gulab Chutney. Baba Chutney Gulkand , Paan Chutney, Coconut and many more ingredients. Paan is considered as an auspicious leaf and are used in Indian wedding rituals too. Generally, prefered eating after the meals , Paan can be considered as a mouthfreshner.
Kuber Paan Bhandar near Godowlia Chowk and Keshav Tambul Bhandar at Ravidas Gate (Lanka) are famous Pan Shops.