If you are ever blessed with the opportunity to visit the bustling city of Madhya Pradesh, Indore, you cannot miss the mouth-watering street food it offers. Certain places like the Sarafa bazaar and Chappan Dukan are dedicated to just Indore street food and every day, lights up at night and you will find the busy crowd munching on all kinds of starters, snacks, chaats, main courses, drinks, and desserts till 1 a.m! A must-visit for all the foodies out there looking for all kinds of rich, varied food items and want to try something new.
I have curated popular street food in the city, to try when you visit the food capital of India. Make sure to grab some munchies as you are bound to get hungry while reading this article!
Popular Vegetarian Indore Street Food
Although the city has many more unique/rare vegetarian dishes and of-course non-vegetarian items too, the ones listed below are the popular street food of the city.
1. Khopra Patties
If you love Aloo Tikki, you will find these traditional Khopra Patties very fascinating. Aloo Tikkis are potato and bread crumbs made into round-flat patties and finally deep-fried. This particular dish is made by stuffing freshly grated coconut into these patties and frying till crispy. Finally, it is topped with spicy-sweet chutney and served hot!
2. Khatta Samosa
All the samosa lovers, you are going to love this delicacy for sure! Khatta samosa is a ravishing type of common samosa (an Indian snack filled with mashed potato and spices). It is called ‘Khatta’ or ‘sour’ because of the tangy chutney served on top of this. The interesting highlight of this dish is that the filling of the samosa contains pomegranate seeds that add up to a sweet-sour taste!
3. Moong Bhajiyas – Popular Indore Street Food
These fritters are made of moong dal or ‘green gram’ giving it a crunchy texture. Moong Bhajiyas are deep-fried and served to piping hot out of the kadhai and are eaten as an evening snack in many homes of Indore. Much loved in the monsoon season, of course, the best Moong Bhajiyas are served by Shree Mahalaxmi Moong Ke Bhajiye on HIG main Rd, Indore. Don’t forget to grab a cup of Kadak Chai alongside!
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4. Poha-Jalebi
Poha is a breakfast meal in most parts of north India and Maharashtra, however, different in its own variations. In Indore, Poha, or flat rice is tossed with onions, peanuts, and spices and finally served with an exciting combination, jalebi. The unique flavors of savory and spicy that come with this meal are impeccable and relishing till the last bite!
5. Sabudana Khichdi
If you are on a diet and are looking for a healthier alternative to fried snacks, you are not alone! Sabudana, also known as sago in some places or simply, tapioca seeds are popularly made into a breakfast meal and even eaten as a snack throughout the city of Indore. What stands out in this dish is that it is completely gluten-free and made in very little oil which makes it super healthy. It comes tossed in peanuts, spices, and herbs and can be eaten along with a bowl of curd.
6. Garadu Chaat – Try this Indore Street Food
This spicy, Masaledaar chaat is one of the fascinating dishes you will find amongst the street food in Indore! Garadu is the root of yam and is mostly found in the season of winter. This part of the vegetable is cut into cubes and deep-fried later to be tossed in selected spices making up a spicy-tangy snack or starter perfect for winter cravings!
7. Shahi Shikanji
This drink will be something you have never had before! Indore’s Shahi Shikanji is a beautiful blend of milk and dry fruits. You must be surprised considering the fact that Shikanji is normally a lemonade kind of drink with spices in it, typically a drink consumed in summer as a refreshment usually to digest a meal but, Indore’s Shahi Shikanji becomes a whole meal in itself! A creamy and nutty milkshake as it looks, it is blended with Kesar (saffron) and Elaichi (cardamom powder) and is available in different flavors too. Topped with malai and served chilled, it is a complete meal for the summer season!
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8. Dal Bati
This popular Rajasthani dish is also called Dal-Bafla in Indore. This meal comprises lemon-shaped batis or balls made of wheat, curd, and selected spices eventually baked and served with a good amount of dal topped with desi ghee.it is usually a meal eaten for lunch or dinner by crushing the hot Bati, pouring dal over it, and lots of desi ghee. A lip-smacking nutritious meal that keeps you full for a long time!
9. Bhutte Ki Kees – Unique among Indore Street Food
Bhutta is the Hindi word for corn-on-the-cob and kees means ‘grind’ or ‘grated’ in Marathi. So this makes up the whole process of this dish. On the street foods of Indore, Bhutte Ki Kees is a popular snack. Made by mashing and grinding boiled corn and sprinkling it with gram flour, it is then fried and served piping hot with lemon squeezed on top. Isn’t it a unique way to have corn in winter?
10. Dahi Vada
How can we miss this relishing chaat? You will savor these deep-fried dal vadas dipped in curd and topped with spices. Finally, dripped with sweet tamarind chutney and mint chutney because what is a chaat without its chutneys? The cooling taste of the curd and hot Vadas makes it a perfect combination of extravagant flavors booming on your tastebuds! Try out Joshi Dahi vada house to savor the best Dahi vadas in the city!
11. Kulfi Falooda – Popular Indore Street Food during summer
Visiting Indore in the summer? You cannot resist missing this absolutely appealing dessert! Indore’s Kulfi-Falooda is made from sweet vermicelli used as a base with kulfi cubes on top and finally, Rooh-Afza becomes the star of the dish topped with dry fruits. As palatable as it looks, it is even tastier. Make sure to save some extra space in your tummy for this meal!
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12. Indori Namkeen – Most in-demand Indore Street Food
If you visit Indore and want something to stack up its delicacy on your shelves back home, what can be better than the famous Namkeens from the city? Namkeen is a savory snack that comes in different shapes, sizes, and flavors. Vendors in Indore sell a variety of Namkeens namely Laung Sev, Khatta Meetha, Heeng peanuts, Falahari mix, etc., that you can savor with a cup of chai, a meal, or simply as a munchy!
13. Doodh Pak
If you are fond of milk cakes, the Indori Doodh Pak has to be a must-try for you! This fresh sweet is made of solidified milk cut into the shape of barfis and garnished with chopped dry fruits. It is a luxurious mithai usually exchanged as gifts during festive seasons and occasions. You cannot afford to miss this delicious sweet after a meal!
14. Gajak
Come winter and almost all the houses in Indore will be stacked with this sweet snack called Gajak. Gajak is sweet-flavored, crunchy, and an extremely healthy snack made from sesame seeds, jaggery, and peanuts. Popularly eaten during the festival of Uttarayan that occurs in the month of January, Gajak is a sweet that will boost your physical energy as well as your festive mood!
15. Jaleba
Our huge hearts are always open to welcome this huge jalebi! No, it’s not a typo, this kind of jalebi is huge in its size hence, called Jaleba. Owing to its enormous size compared to the other jalebis, this sweet is even juicier and crunchier and a must-have after a good meal. Not to mention, you cannot have just one! Head to Chappan Dukan in New Palasia to have this piping hot sweet dish!
16. Nariyal Crush
If you are traveling to Indore in the summer season, this drink will definitely keep you hydrated! Nariyal means coconut in Hindi. Coconut water is nutritious and a delicious way of preventing dehydration. But as we know, Indore always gives a special touch to an ordinary recipe. Indore’s special nariyal crush is instead made with fresh coconut milk! Served chilled with dry fruits on top, this drink is bound to keep you fresh and going all day long!
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17. Mawa Bati
It is an extraordinary dish that resembles the popular Indian sweet Gulab Jamun with its golden brown color and juicy round texture. Mawa or ‘khoya’ is a dairy element made by constantly thickening the milk. It is the last fat residue left after boiling the milk for hours. Mawa is a special ingredient used in almost all dairy sweets and it is extremely rich and delicious. The word Bati is used for this dish because of its shape which looks exactly like a lemon-shaped baked wheat ball. Made with fresh Mawa and stuffed with crunchy dry fruits, it melts like butter in your mouth.
Takeaway
The kind of variety of vegetarian street food options in the city is remarkable. We have observed how ingredients that are selected are used in an interesting way to upgrade an ordinary dish into a unique, flavourful one. The food of the city presents its culture and traditions bonded together in a beautiful string of togetherness, happiness, and prosperity with one thing in common, food. We would not want you to miss these popular street foods, so do try them when you visit the city!
Guest Post by Shristi Patni
Shristi is the founder of F and B Recipes. Formerly the Chief Content Officer at Raletta, she is currently working on her second cookbook. Feel free to check out her interviews with other food bloggers or her articles on Shamballa Reiki and Intuitive Energy Healing.
The fact that you kept poha jalebi at 4th place, rather than first… Being it Indore…. ????
And kept Dal Bati in snacks category????,????????????not done….
I am traveling to Indore. Would love to check out these delicious dishes. Thanks for sharing these.
Enjoy your trip to Indore and all these lovely dishes.
I would like to eat more samosa…
Wow. This is really great
This is great information for people travelling to Indore. I really liked the idea of pomegranate stuffing in a samosa, which certainly makes Samosa in Indore a unique snack, which certainly one should have
Wow, indore must be home to some of the best delicacies i am yet to try out. I am definitely visiting indore. Thanks for sharing