What India is known for – Street Food

I don’t know about you but coming to India and trying street food was high on my list when I travelled the country last year.  I know many people can be put off by the fear that they may get ill which is why we’ve created this post to tell you the best street foods to try including best places to go in Jaipur.

We already know Jaipur is famous for it’s shopping and fortunately whilst your out and about and working up an appetite, there is plenty of great street food on offer.  There are many small stalls dotted around and you will see plenty of locals going to them, which is usually a good sign.  Some of my personal favourites have got to be samosas, paneer pakora and jalebis.   What to try first……

Kachori’s galore!

Dal ki/Curry kachori 10-30rs, Pyas kachori 20-50rs

Kachori is one of India’s street foods most popular delicacies and kachoris are a staple part of the Rajasthani diet, especially Dal Ki Kachori!    Consisting of a hard outer shell made of maida flour and stuffed with various spicy savoury fillings and then fried in oil.  Dal Ki Kachori is delicious, a kachori packed with flavoursome lentils.    There are so many types of kachoris to try, such as Hing Ki Kachori  from Nehru Bazaar, a Kachori packed with Dal, Hing and other spices for a real spicy combination. You’ve also got to try the Curry/kadi Kachori which you can find at Jahori Bazaar or In C Scheme opposite the new Subway.  

Another local favourite is the Pyas Ki Kachori which has got to be tried at Rawat Misthan Bhandar, said to be the be the best by locals and always busy or from Samrat, Chaura Rasta in Tripoliia Bazaar.  Pyas Ki Kachori is minced onion, potatoes and spices all packed in to that crispy shell for a blend of flavours.  Whilst Pyas Ki Kachori can be found at many kachori stalls, those two locations are the best ones to visit.

Pav Bhaji  

40 -120rs

For the best place in town for Pav Bhaji you need to head to the Pandit shops.  Ideal if you have just been visiting Birla Mandir as their directly opposite.  I say Pandit shops as many of them have labelled themselves Pandit, fortunately there all good though!  These places serve the best Pav Bhaji in town and at street food prices!  Pav Bhaji is a quick meal on the go, consisting of a thick vegetable curry with a bread roll, it’s sure to fill you up.  Another opportunity to try this filling street food is at Auntie’s Cafe or Kanha, both in C scheme.

Pani Puri 

10 – 50rs

Chawla’s serves a range of sweets and street food so you can have the best of both worlds! Chawla’s can be found at Fashion Street, Lane 1 Raja Park.  The Pani Puri is a speciality here.  Pani Puri is a combination of potatoes, onions, chickpeas, coriander chutney stuffed into the crispy puri and then drenched in mint water.  You have to eat it quick before it goes soggy!  One of the best ways to eat Pani Puri is to have Suki Puri or meaty chutney puri afterwards which combines potato, jeera and masala and balances out the flavour between the two types of puri.  Other worthwhile location to try Pani Puri are Lala at Tripolia bazaar or Khana and behind Auntie’s Cafe, both in C scheme .  It’s a popular dish, definitely worth a try.

Kanji Vada

10 – 20rs

The best place for Kanji Vada can be found at Jhori Bazaar or some of the small street sellers near Saras restaurant in C scheme.  Consisting of vadas made from a paste of moong dal which is deep fried and then placed in Kanji water, which you can sip from the bowl at the end!  Kanji water is a mixture of fermented mustard, salt and chilli powder in plain water.   This is definitely for the savoury fans out there! Consider the hygiene element of the water when considering this delicacy.  

Indian Hot Dog  and Bombay Sandwich

20rs – 50rs

Another small little street seller where you can get the best of street foods!  Situated in Bapu Bazaar near Saraogi mansion, this guy does a great Indian hot dog as well as Bombay Sandwich and a range of other delicacies such as Chaat.  If you thought you’d had the best hot dog before wait until you have tried an Indian hot dog!

Jal Jeera

10 – 30rs

The best Jal Jeera can be found along Hawa Mahal Road.  This is a spicy Indian drink that gives you a kick start whilst cooling you down too!  It refuels and refreshes all at the same time.  It combines water with cumin alongside other spices such as mint and fennel for a great tasting drink that packs a punch.

Indian breakfast!

Chole Batura 60rs,   Aloo Puri 40rs,    Poha  20rs 

Wanting to try something different for breakfast and experience real Indian style breakfast, then head to  Samrat, Chaura Rasta in Tripolia Bazaar.  Here you can enjoy Poha, butter toast, Aloo Puri and Chole Batura.  Poha is a typical Indian breakfast, full of iron ready to kick start your day.  Poha is flattened rice which is often served mixed with vegetables.  Aloo puri is yummy!  Consisting of fried puri bread with potato in a gravy sauce or you have Chole Batura which is a mixture of chana masala made with white chickpeas accompanied with fried bread known as batura.  You can get your fix of lassie or masala chai here as well, to to make for a great Indian breakfast.

Best for the rest!

More general places to try for their street food as they serve all sorts of delicious street food delicacies, would have to be Saras Restaurant, situated close to Central Park.  For all your street food favourites such as Paneer Pakoda made from Indian cottage cheese and flour fried giving it a crispy outer shell, these are yummy!  You can also get great Dosa’s from here and Charch, along with my favourites for all those with a sweet tooth, the divine Jalebis.  These are so delicious, basically fried maida flour and then soaked in sugar syrup, these satisfy my sweet tooth cravings!  Along the street where Saras Restaurant is located you will find many street food options from juices to Kanji Vada and other street foods worth trying.

Within the Secretariat area on the corner, you also have Culcutti chat bhandar another place to check out for the Dahi Vada which is the flour balls soaked in dahi yoghurt for that sweet taste along with the opportunity to purchase other street food delicacies.  For more organised street food with a good level of hygiene and seating option, you can check out Khana in C scheme where you can buy all your favourites such as Chole Bhatura, Dosa, Pav Bhaji, Pani Puri and many more.  You can also check out Auntie’s Kitchen in C Scheme for a range of street food options along with one of the best places to try Cold Coffee which you can get from a dairy located on the corner of the road running towards Auntie’s Cafe.  Within the old city itself, alongside the many delicacies we have listed above within the bazaars, if you head to Badi Chaupar you can find various street stalls and options for trying street food.  

Whilst these may be the top street foods to try in Jaipur, if your feeling adventurous why not try what’s on offer from a busy seller and see what hits the taste buds.  There’s certainly a lot on offer when it comes to street food and all these dishes are certainly worth a try and makes us want to pop out soon and dive into eating some of our favourite street foods.  Try them for yourself and let us know what you think!