Top 7 Northern Indian Street Food

Coming from the North Indian city of Amritsari, Amritsari kulcha is a flatbread stuffed with potatoes, onions, cottage cheese, and spices. The flatbread is commonly garnished with coriander seeds, cilantro, and red chili powder. Thin, crispy, and smeared with ghee butter, it is a staple food in Amritsar, with almost every shop in the city sizzling with the sound of kulchas baked in large tandoor ovens. Not much is known about the history of this flavorful dish, and even the locals say that kulcha is just something they have always eaten, a variation on numerous flatbreads that the country is known for.Expand

At its core, chole bhature is a combination of two dishes: chole - a spicy chickpea curry, and bhature - a type of fried bread made with maida flour. Popular throughout North India, the dish was invented in Delhi in the 1940s. It is commonly accompanied by onions, pickles, mint chutney, and chilled lassi. Chole bhature can be found at most street carts in North India, but it can also be easily prepared at home. Although it can be eaten any time of the day, chole bhature is especially popular in the morning, when bhature are filled with potatoes or cottage cheese, making it a heavy, nutritious breakfast.Expand

Dahi vada is a popular Indian snack that can also be served either as a main dish or as an accompaniment to vegetable or meat dishes. The dish originates from North India and consists of savory lentil-based fried balls (vadas) that are soaked in a thick yogurt (dahi). This popular street food is often topped with spices such as chili, cumin, coriander, and various chutneys. The dish is also popular at festive occasions such as weddings, and provides an ideal refreshment on a hot summer day.Expand

A specialty of North India, chana masala is a tangy chickpea curry that is commonly consumed as a snack, main meal, or breakfast. Arguably, it is the most popular vegetarian dish in India, commonly found on railway platforms, at work, in school canteens, or at ceremonies and festive occasions in India and Pakistan. Chickpeas are simmered in a combination of spices and herbs, often served with rice or Indian flatbreads such as roti or naan, then garnished with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Due to chana masala's popularity, there are also regional versions of the dish, such as the Pakistani version called aloo chole, made with chickpeas and potatoes.Expand

Aloo tikki is a flavorful snack that is popular in North India and Pakistan. It consists of potatoes (aloo) and onions made into croquettes (tikki), which are then flavored with various spices and deep-fried. The croquettes are a staple of every chaat stall in Mumbai and North India. Aloo tikki is often garnished with onion, chutney, coriander, or hot chiles, and it is usually served with yogurt or chickpeas. In Mumbai, the snack is often topped with spicy curries. Although aloo tikki is mostly consumed in North India and Pakistan, it is also gaining popularity in the United Kingdom, especially in the East Midlands area.Expand

Gobi paratha is a traditional flatbread originating from North India. This type of paratha is stuffed with spiced cauliflower. The dough is made with a combination of flour, water, salt, and oil. Once shaped, it's stuffed with spiced cauliflower, fried on both sides and brushed with butter or ghee until golden brown and fully cooked. The stuffing is typically made with a combination of cauliflower, ginger, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander, cumin, garam masala powder, dry mango powder, and salt. It's recommended to serve gobi parathas hot with chutneys, curd, raita, or Indian pickles. The dish can be found on most street food stalls in the area, where vendors serve gobi paratha for breakfast.Expand

Amritsari fish is a traditional fish dish and a popular street food originating from Amritsari. It’s usually made with a combination of freshwater fish, ginger-garlic paste, ajwain, red chili powder, garam masala, amchur mango powder, lemon juice, salt, gram flour, turmeric, and oil. The fish is coated with a mixture of gram flour, spices, lemon juice, and curd. Once coated, it’s fried in hot oil until golden and crisp. Amritsari fish is then served piping hot, and it’s enjoyed on its own.Expand