Top 7 Eastern Indian Snacks

Gobi manchurian is a traditional Indo-Chinese dish consisting of fried cauliflower (gobi) that’s tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce (manchurian). There are two versions of the dish – dry and in gravy. The dry version is often served as an appetizer or a bar snack with ketchup on the side as a dipping sauce, while the gravy version features a thick sauce made with cornstarch and it’s usually served as a main dish with rice on the side, either fried or steamed. The cauliflower florets are coated in batter and deep-fried until crisp. The batter often consists of water, flour, corn flour, red chili powder, and seasonings, while the sauce is made with a combination of garlic, ginger, onions, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, and chili peppers. Originally, the dish was created by the Chinese community in Kolkata during the time of the British Raj.Expand

This Indian specialty hails from Bihar, but it is also enjoyed in Jharkhand. One part of the dish consists of litti—small balls prepared with whole wheat flour and filled with a combination of spices and sattu (a flour-like ingredient made with roasted chickpeas). The balls are baked or fried, and before serving, they are traditionally dipped in ghee. The dish is completed with chokha – a mix of roasted vegetables that usually contains eggplants, tomatoes, onions, and various spices.Expand

Aloo chop is a traditional snack originating from Bengal. It’s usually made with a combination of potatoes, oil, gram flour, baking soda, onions, ginger-garlic paste, chili peppers, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander, cumin, and salt. The potatoes are cooked, mashed, and mixed with stir-fried spices, vegetables, and herbs. The combination is shaped into balls or patties, and it’s then fried in oil until golden and lightly crisp. Once done, aloo chop is typically served with a variety of chutneys, dips, and sauces. In West Bengal, there are a few types of aloo chop such as aloo bomb, Kolkata-style aloo chop, and panskurar chop.Expand

Pitha is a large group of bread and cakes that are popular throughout Bangladesh and India. The most common base for pitha is rice flour, although wheat or corn flour can also be used. Most varieties of pitha are prepared as small cookies or dumplings that are filled with spices, nuts, or different vegetables, in either sweet or savory versions. The simplest versions of pitha are filled with jaggery and coconut, while the more complex ones usually include cheese, lentils, and vegetables in the filling. In Bangladesh, pithas are usually reserved for special occasions - family celebrations, weddings, and harvest festivals such as Nabanna and Poush Parban. They are also often consumed as an afternoon snack, paired with a cup of tea.Expand

Mughlai paratha is a traditional dish originating from Bengal and dating back to the Mughal Empire. Traditionally, this street food staple consists of a deep-fried paratha stuffed with minced chicken or mutton, but there are a few versions of the dish, so it can be prepared without meat as well. The stuffing typically contains onions, chili peppers, ginger, garlic, eggs, carrots, garam masala powder, coriander, turmeric, cumin, and amchur (dried mango powder). Once assembled, this stuffed paratha is roasted on a hot tawa or fried in oil. The dish is usually served as a snack with raita or curries. Expand

Arisa pitha is a traditional pancake-like sweet snack and a type of pitha originating from Odisha. It's usually made with a combination of rice flour, sesame seeds, jaggery, sugar, ghee, and oil. The rice is soaked, slightly drained, and ground into a paste with sugar syrup in order to form a batter. The batter is stuffed with toasted sesame seeds and jaggery, topped with sesame seeds, and it is then fried in oil until browned. Arisa pitha is traditionally served warm, but it can also be enjoyed after it has cooled down and hardened.Expand

Dhuska is a traditional dish from the Indian states of Jharkhand and Bihar. It is a popular snack or breakfast item made from a batter of rice and chana dal (bengal grams). The batter is seasoned with spices and then deep-fried to make crispy, golden-brown pancakes or fritters. The fritters puff up slightly when fried, giving them a light and airy texture. Dhuska is often served with a side of aloo chana (potato and chickpea curry) or with ghugni, a spicy yellow pea curry. It can also be enjoyed with pickles or chutney.Expand