Indian snacks, or chaat, are diverse and unique to each region of India. They are eaten at all hours of the day and often served fresh from stalls or restaurants. Vegetarian options are common, including pakoras and samosas, while more substantial snacks include biryani and spiced eggplant dishes.
Indian snacks, also known as chaat, are incredibly diverse. Each region of India has specialties found nowhere else and cooks usually have their own special versions of Indian snacks. As a result, listing every Indian snack on Earth would be an impossible task, and any list leaves no doubt a few well-known regional favorites. Restaurants outside India offer many of the snacks listed below, as well as other regional specialties.
In India, snacks are eaten at all hours of the day. Chaat wallahs deliver deliveries of snacks to Indian cities during lunch hours and people also eat these snacks during their breaks, before dinner or as a side dish. Stalls often offer an assortment of such snacks, cooked fresh to order in large vats of oil, and many Indian restaurants also offer a range of snacks, some of which are quite elaborate. Indian snacks are eaten with tea, known as chai, and served at train stations, airports and other community hubs.
Some of the most well known Indian snacks include various breads like chapati, plain flatbreads; bhelpuris, crispy fried bread; parades, breads filled with everything from lamb to potatoes; naan, a simple flat bread; and papads, crispy wafers made from lentil flour, bean flour, and a variety of other flours. These breads can be eaten alone or served alongside various lentil dishes, stewed vegetables and meats also eaten as snacks in India.
Many Indian snack foods are vegetarian, reflecting the large Hindu population. Pakoras are blends of vegetables that are coated in batter, fried and served crispy and hot. Bhaji, or fried onions, were originally used as a side dish, but are commonly eaten as a snack today. Samosas are savory pastries filled with spiced vegetables and panipuris are made with large sized bhelpuri which are cooked and then filled with various vegetable ingredients.
Indian snacks can also be more substantial. Biryani is a popular Indian rice-based snack cooked with vegetables or meat and commonly served with a side of chapatis or naan. Muri, or puffed rice, is another popular rice-based snack in India. Baingan bharta is a popular spiced eggplant dish and you can also find a variety of potato, spinach, cauliflower and tomato based dishes served as Indian snacks, alongside grilled or roasted meats. Vadas, India’s answer to donuts, are fried doughs that are savory and sometimes soaked in yoghurt to make dahi vadas.
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