Planning a trip to Varanasi? Confused, whether it will be a good choice or not. If yes, then proceed with this post! Varanasi is a most loved tourist destination that holds the attention of tourists worldwide. The throbbing culture, peculiar lifestyle, medieval temples, ghats of Ganga, and monuments are enough to make everyone fall in love with this place.
Apart from all this, do you know the most popular thing that you can do while visiting this city? Enjoy Street Foods of Varanasi! Yes, you heard it right! If you are a food lover then you will surely be going to enjoy this city as there are different food options to try! This city is known for its famous and mouth-watering street food that one should not miss! Be it snacks, main course, dessert, or anything else, the streets of this city are filled with different roadside stalls serving appetizing food.
The popularity of Street Food of Varanasi
Do you know street food is quite popular in Varanasi among locals and travellers? Yes, that’s true! The city is known for its wide variety of street food that one can enjoy at any time. The reason that makes street food so popular is its affordability since many of the items are quite reasonable that can be enjoyed by anyone.
Moreover, street food in Varanasi is not only about satisfying hunger, it’s an enjoyment in itself to taste the speciality of the city. Every food vendor has their own story to tell with their dishes as they are prepared by using traditional recipes. Street food is the best example in Varanasi that shows how food can reflect the city’s culture and lifestyle.
If we talk about street food in Varanasi then it’s known for its unique flavors. From sweet to sour, spicy to tangy the city has something for all.
Famous Mouth-Watering Street Food of Varanasi
This amazing post shares famous street foods that are worth trying. Let’s get started with it one by one! Happy Reading!
Kachori Sabzi
This tempting breakfast item is a popular dish that you must taste. The crispy ball-like kachoris are stuffed with lentils, spices and served with lip-smacking sabzi prepared with freshly boiled potatoes, cloves, chillies, black pepper, and other ingredients. In the morning you will notice many office and college goers enjoying this yummy hot and spicy breakfast. In short, your trip to this city is incomplete without tasting this authentic Kachori Sabzi of Varanasi.
Baati Chokha
Baati Chokha is a famous food of Bihar but this dish is enjoyed by food lovers in Varanasi too. Wheat dough balls i.e., Baati are stuffed with chana dal and different spices. They are cooked over charcoal and after that dipped in desi ghee.
The dish is served with Chokha which is a spicy mixture of mashed potatoes, baked brinjals, tomatoes, and other spices.
Tamatar Chaat
This unique and flavoursome chaat is favourite among locals of the city and tourists. Prepared with boiled potatoes, tomatoes, onions, coriander leaves, and chillies as well as flavoured with black pepper, pounded ginger, red chilli powder, garam masala to make it spicy. Tamatar Chaat is served in a bowl made from Palash leaves. No doubt it’s little bit spicy but it’s the best street food for every chaat lover.
Chena Dahi Vada
Chena Dahi Vada is similar to Dahi Vada but Chena Vadas are simply prepared with a mixture of mashed boiled potatoes, grated ginger, fresh cottage cheese, cornflour along with other ingredients.
They have a round shape like Vadas, fried in oil, topped with tamarind and coriander chutneys, sweet curd, and masalas. Though a breakfast item, but you can enjoy this food item anytime.
Dahi Chutney Golgappe
Also known by the name of Meethe Golgappe, this sweet spicy snack is loved by majority of food lovers. Wafer thin crispy Golgappas are properly filled with boiled spicy potatoes and topped with tangy chutneys, curd, pudina, sev, and other spices.
In some places, you will see pomegranate is sprinkled to give chaat a final touch.
Chura Matar
Chura Matar is a yummy dish similar to poha but here flattened rice is soaked in pure ghee and after that cooked with different spices and green peas. Here, milk is added in it to improve its texture. Lastly, raisins along with saffron are added to enhance the dish’s flavour.
Safed Makhan Toast
A famous Varanasi Street food Safed Makhan Toast is loved by locals and tourists visiting the city. By heating a bread piece, the toast is made in the oven which is then coated with creamy white butter for a distinctive flavour. Toast crunchiness texture and salty butter give this dish a unique taste.
Thandai
Thandai is the famous and most favourite drink of the Varanasi city for centuries. Without Thandai, your trip to the city is incomplete. Local people and outsiders enjoy this special beverage as it’s a relaxing drink to try in hot summers.
It’s a sweet and refreshing drink made with different spices like almonds, poppy seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds, and saffron. Served cold along with some sugar to give it a sweet flavour. Thandai is healthy as it’s highly rich in vital nutrients such as Vitamin A, iron, fatty acids, etc.
Tikki Chaat
Tikki Chaat is another popular dish that is common in every city. A fried crunchy patty made with boiled potatoes, spices, and different herbs. It is then topped with chopped tomatoes, coriander, onions, yoghurt, and sweet/spicy chutneys. It has a spicy and tangy taste due to different herbs and spices added in it.
Laiya Channa
It’s a simple and healthy snack item that you will see on Varanasi streets, particularly during evening hours. You can compare this with Bhelpuri. Instead of puffed rice, soaked boiled Channa is used in making it else the procedure of preparation remains the same.
Chopped onion, tomatoes, green chillies, peanuts, variety of spices like chaat masala are mixed in the boiled Channa. Finally, lemon is squeezed all over the mixture for giving it a tangy taste. You will surely be going to love this snack when enjoyed with hot tea.
Launglata
It’s the famous sweet dessert of Varanasi. In general, it’s cooked at the time of Holi, however, you will see this item all year on Varanasi Street. The dough shell is properly filled with almonds, milk solids, and sugar. After that, it’s marinated in sugar syrup. One or maximum of two pieces are enough to satisfy your craving for this sweet dessert.
Banarasi Paan
What strikes your mind when you hear word Banaras? Banarasi Paan; isn’t it? Locals feel that one’s meal is incomplete without eating Paan. The best thing about the Paan is that it’s prepared by filling betel leaves along with ingredients like fennel seeds, cardamom, betel nuts, clove powder, cinnamon, etc.
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Kulhad Chai
If you are a tea lover then don’t forget to try Kulhad Chai when visiting the city. You might be wondering what is so good about Chai here. Right? It’s prepared by using buffalo milk and looks richer and creamier as compared to normal tea.
The sellers make use of some chai masala to give it a unique smell and flavour. This hot drink is served to people in kulhads which ultimately accentuates the taste too.
Cutlets and Bajjis
Cutlets are fried items of different fillings and taste best when enjoyed with tomato sauce or sweet tamarind chutney. Do you know what make these Bajjis special? A powder that street food sellers add when serving this dish! Black salt along with cumin powder is enough to give savoury taste to this snack item.
Malaiyyo
If you visit Varanasi during winter then don’t forget to try Malaiyyo. Made of milk froth; the process of preparing this dish is quite special. The dish is too light in texture that will melt inside your mouth whenever you consume it.
In the iron wok, milk is boiled and kept under the sky whole night. After that, milk is churned with saffron strands, sugar, and cardamom powder until it changes to foam. Sliced pistachios and almonds are used to garnish the dish before serving it in kulhads. Don’t forget to relish this finger-licking dessert since you will not get it anywhere else.
Katori Chaat
Katori Chaat is something in which potatoes are filled as well as yoghurt and toppings are overflowing. It’s not spicy similar to other items of chaat but it’s something you should try for sure.
Summing Up
Hope you enjoyed this amazing food blog post that tells everything about the best street food in Varanasi that you should try. Like temples, the place is well-known for its street food too. So, if you are leading a hectic lifestyle and want to relieve your stress then plan a trip to Varanasi this time. The small street stalls on the roadside will surely be going to amaze you with their amazing flavours and taste.