Have you ever wandered through a city’s khau gallis (food alleys)? Like perfectly painted canvases, they convey a story, albeit one that doesn’t require words.
In almost clockwork motion, battered vegetables and meats are dropped into hot oil creating a sizzle that perks up your ears. Minutes later, the delicacy is served to you, piping hot and fresh. It goes unsaid, the magic of street food is unparalleled.
For aeons, the khau gallis of India have been drawing localities and foreigners alike — urging them to trade perfectly garnished dishes in luxury spaces for these authentic time-tested recipes. And the gamble is bound to pay off, they assure!
As for where you can head for this authentic experience, we’ve put together a list of street food walks across India.
1. Delhi Food Walks, Delhi
The walk lets you explore the post-colonial capital’s epicurean paradise. What started as an idea in 2011 by Anubhav Sapra to let tourists get a slice of true Delhi cuisine, gradually morphed into a brand name — now the face of Delhi’s gastronomy.
Sapra and his team explored the nooks and crannies of the capital, from the historic lanes of Shahjahanabad to the famed Chandni Chowk — where aloo tikki (shallow fried potato patty) and paranthas (deep-fried stuffed flat Indian bread) thrill the average foodie.
No food trail is complete without a visit to the Jama Masjid area where kebabs (minced meat grilled on skewers), korma (a creamy gravy of chicken), butter chicken, and rice pudding await. For the brave at heart, there is the fire paan (betel leaf) to try.
Book your gastronomic adventure, here.
2. With Locals, Varanasi
The lanes of Varanasi, India’s holy city, are equal part food and equal part aesthetic. As many rightly point out, the place is a maze — but the kind we love. Hidden within are culinary secrets that exemplify Varanasi’s true flavours. Take for instance the crispy kachori (a deep-fried spicy snack) — the prized delicacy of the city.
Such is the fame of the humble snack that it occupies an entire lane in the Thatheri Bazar. You name the kind of kachori you want and you’ll find it here.
Revel in the baati chokha (a dish comprising a spicy mixture of roasted eggplants and tomatoes, boiled potatoes, ginger, and chillies eaten with wheat flour bread). Other local renditions — such as laaiya channa (a street food snack made with soaked and boiled chickpeas), choora matar (a snack prepared with flattened rice, milk, ghee, cashew nuts, fresh peas and spices), and the malaiyyo (a milk delicacy) — are some not-to-miss items.
Book your gastronomic adventure, here.
3. Gully Tours, Mysuru
Having filter coffee in South India — the birthplace of the drink — is almost sacrosanct. During this tour, you will be whisked to an array of eateries in Mysuru, where you’ll be surprised at the (almost military) precision with which menu items are listed and orders doled onto the tables. Interspersed between these binge sessions, are cultural walks.
One of the most popular ones is the Malgudi Tour, which takes guests to parts of Mysuru that inspired author R K Narayan to create his famous Malgudi Days. Gully Tours was started by engineer Vinay Parameswarappa, who, after completing his MBA from the University of Oxford, was inspired by food tours abroad, and wanted to replicate the idea closer to home.
Book your gastronomic adventure, here.
The Bohri Mohalla neighbourhood and its accompanying Mohammad Ali Road are known for complex and enigmatic food flavours. The meaty delicacies found here are prepared with recipes passed down through generations. The ‘Kabab and Curry Walk’ encourages people to stroll through the lanes — the aromas are intoxicating — and sample everything. Even food virtuoso Nigella Lawson was impressed by the tour.
While non-vegetarian fare might seem the main draw, don’t be fooled. The tour beckons you to indulge in desserts — hand-churned ice cream that has a century-old legacy, Chinese grills, mawa jalebi (a sweet made with khoya), and rabri (a sweet porridge).
Book your gastronomic adventure, here.
5. Calcutta Walks, Kolkata
Calcutta Walks attempts to bring a sort of calm to the culinary whirlwind that the city offers. There is a certain magic about wandering the old-school parts of the city romanticised by films. And the ‘Cabin Food Walk’ lets you do precisely this. The goal: to visit as many hole-in-the-wall eateries — once frequented by revolutionaries and literati — as possible!
But, why simply eat when you can cook your meal, too? The ‘Bengali Cooking Experience’ tour includes a cooking demonstration by a local woman. Meanwhile, the ‘Street Food’ tour invites guests to gorge on kathi rolls (a unique wrap), street-side masala cha (tea), fried fish, jalebis, soota kababs, dahi papdi chaat (a snack made with chickpeas, potato, spices and yoghurt), jhal muri (spicy puffed rice snack), puchkas (a Kolkata-style pani puri), and shinghara (samosa) among others.
Book your gastronomic adventure, here.
6. The Greener Pastures, Northeast India
Through its tours, The Greener Pastures brings a certain conviviality to food. It lets you visit the tribal communities, spend time with them, watch them prepare meals, and then partake in the eating too!
The tribes of the Northeast are experts in deriving complex flavours from elemental ingredients. From Nagaland’s smoked meats to Assam’s fragrant fish curries and Meghalaya’s bamboo shoots, the food is deeply connected to the tribal cultures. And there is nothing like a tour to explore this.
The tour offers a delightful spread of Khasi and Mishing tribal cuisines. From the Khasi menu, you can enjoy dishes like jadoh (a popular street food made with red rice cooked with pork or chicken), pumaloi (steamed rice cake made with powdered rice, raw grated coconut, and water), putharo (a soft, spongy flatbread made from rice flour that’s often eaten with curried minced meat).
The Mishing tribal cuisine features unique dishes such as yumrang (a dish of fried and roasted vegetables, such as mustard leaves, bamboo shoots, and napaphoo [Napaku], with dry fish), the Mishing thali which includes smoked pork, cherry-sized potato fry, daal fry, steamed sticky rice, and salad, and sengkeq-ali elang ambook (yam with roasted rice powder and black tea) among other tribal fare.
Book your gastronomic adventure, here.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
