Well, moving on the list, we stopped to check if all the rumors about the food being really fantastic, or better say the street food were even that much special or not?
Kolkata, located in West Bengal besides the east bank of the Hooghly River, is famous for the commercial, cultural & education centre of East India. With the population of approximately 4.5 lakhs, the city offers its citizens a large variety of super tasty and magnificent food on the streets.
1. Phuchkhas
Roaming on the streets, we stepped in Vivekananda Park upon hearing a lot of its appreciation of ‘Phuchkhas’ present over there. The ‘Papri Chaat’, ‘Dum Aloo Phuchkas’ & ‘Dahi Phuchkas’ were even present over there along with those attractive ‘Phuchkas’ & upon tasting them all one by one, you get to know why people here are crazy for it. The perfect combination of different masalas, it is offered with a stuffing of mashed potatoes mixed with spices in a dash of ‘Tetul Jol’ i.e. tamarind pulp water. The taste of the ‘Phuchkas’ is the one; I bet you will never forget.
2. Kathi Rolls
Next we drove to Zaika, Park Streets. This place we got to know is, famous for ‘Kathi Rolls’. The speciality is that they were invented here. Upon tasting ‘Kathi Rolls’, we tasted other rolls too & upon tasting them we got to know that all the varieties are delicious in their own way. Egg Rolls, Chicken Rolls, Mutton Rolls, Egg Chicken Rolls, Paneer Rolls, Vegetable Rolls & the list goes on and on. Variety & then have it, a creative mixture in the making of rolls makes it the most special rolls you have ever tasted.
3. Dum Aloo
Till then, one could had easily fallen in love with the street food & that love made us go & taste ‘Aloo Dum’ served with famous ‘Luchi’ in Fairlie place. This place is the central business of Kolkata & one can see people in formal attire roaming around. ‘Luchi’ is similar to the Puris & Aloo Dum is the Bengali rendition of Dum Aloo. Along with them, one can easily try Kachoris and rice & Fish curry. Super tasty and beautiful plating will make you fall in love with the dish.
4. Mughlai Paratha
The word was often heard ‘Mughlai Paratha’ & to get a glance & taste it in real, we went next to Anadi Cabin at Jawaharlal Nehru Road. Before the taste, we were amazed to see the beauty of Parathas. The fragrance can attract anyone. Rotis stuffed with the generous amount of Chicken Keema or broken Cutlets, Onion & Eggs. Others offer the same dish in the place but here is the best and the cheapest. This was the best among dishes we tasted as chicken always makes things better.
5. Chow Mein
Moving up next, we made our way to China Town at Tiretti Bazaar. Earlier, this place was the home of Chinese people though the number of them declined, their food still exists. The shop is known for the best breakfast in the town consisting of rice dumplings & soup. The stock lasts till 7 AM. Indian Chinese version of Chinese food can be tasted up here. Chow Mein is the best street food their as it serves lots of veggies with different flavors. Chicken creates huge buzz as it is the tastiest dish of China town.
6. Samosa
For the Tea lovers, with the singharas/samosas one must visit Tiwari Brothers for its light but tasty breakfast. ‘Lebu-Cha’ (lemon-tea) & ‘Raw-Cha’ (tea without milk) are the specialties here. Teas’ are available here but even tasty ones can be found at Sharma Tea Houses!
7. Momos
Momos no doubt are famous all over the world but the one in Rabindra Sadan at Metro Exit are the very special ones. Momos are served with piping hot soup & the perfect sauce for accompaniments here. In all, the search of comfort food ends here. Here the Momos, to be really honest, are breathtaking & if you are thinking about your packet, the low cost will leave you speechless.
8. Sweets
Now, if you are the lover of sweets, which 75% of the people on the earth are, Balaram Mullick & Bhawanipuri is the place. Mouth watering Roshgulla, thick Mishi Doi, many varieties of Sandes, Ras Malai will make you feel like heaven for the moment. The Kolkata trip is incomplete without tasting all of them once. And upon talking to some localities over there, we found out this magnificent place known as Mayaram’s at Lord Sinha Road.
9. Pav Bhaji
There are actually people over there who crave for the ‘Pav Bhaji’ made on the streets of Kolkata. Residents here bet that one can never cross the street ignoring the scent of the best ‘Pav Bhaji’ of the town.
10. Street Chicken
Upon next, if you are a die heart lover of non-vegetarian food, well most of us are, Mitra Cafe is the destination. Mutton Kabiraji, Mughlai Paranthas, Fish Chops, Fish Fingers & the list goes on. Rolls of every kind that you can think of is present over here. The taste, i bet will stay in your head until you are living.
11. Gobi Gram
Gobi Gram at Princep Ghat offers you the best Chanachur lemon juice & onion. Often, the residents here say that tea & all kinds of snacks at the place are one of the reasons they are in love with the city.
12. Fried Fish
Kolkata though is famous for many types of food at many places, but the few that you shouldn’t miss upon visiting the city are Fish Fry at Geopark crossing. The crispy fish and green chutney are the best snacks for needy stomachs.
13. Dosa /Wada
Dosa is an amazing South Indian dish to entertain stomach with at the dinner on a random day. It serves potato filling which tastes the best with coconut chutney and sambar. It is an amazing combination of a healthy and delicious dish which any guest would love to it.
14. Jhal-Muri
It is prepared by mixing rice with various ingredients and spices and served in a paper bag. It has an amazing taste with tangy filling. It is a Kolkata favorite snack when comes to traveling by train or bus. The seller often carries the ingredients in funky bags to attract customers. The green chilly with chaat masala gives it a spicy flavour.
15. Lassi And Sugarcane Juice
Mostly in demand in summers, Lassi here is found at most of the roadside habeas. Not only Lassi is famous here, Baker rush/Sugarcane are the reason of people loving these places. Made out of fresh curd with tasty toppings, Lassi always end up making the visitors satisfied and happy with the dish.
16. Bhelpuri
Must have heard of Bhel Puri but the Kolkata one is famous for being of its kind. Made out of Puffed rice and Bhujia, it has toppings of tangy tamarind juice. In the city, you will find the variety of the dish, but the one you will find at the back gate of Victoria Memorial is beyond all.
17. Alu Kabi
When it comes to snacks, Alu Kabi is the most comfortable one to make. Boiled potatoes tossed in with roasted peas (previously soaked, usually overnight}, chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander, tamarind paste, chopped chilly and seasoned well. Perfect mixture of spice is the top most reason for this dish being so loved here.
18. Chanar Jilipi
Too much spicy, Chanar Filipi is regarded as the sweetest sweet in the town. Made out of fresh cottage cheese, it is Soft and chewy; it resembles gulab jamun. And the best part of the dish is, it is found in every single sweet shop in the town.
19. Radha Ballabi
Masala Kochi, usually served with chunni/chhola Torkri, it is nothing but a deep fried, Lentil stuffed puri. Masala has always been the strong point of the Kolkata people, and this dish which we have discussed is the perfect example.
20. Cutlet and Chop
Fish cutlet is the best cutlet to be taken with drink. Kolkata has a huge variety of cutlets including fish cutlet, paneer cutlet, chicken cutlet, etc. If you really want to enjoy this, go out with your love on streets & share happiness with each other exotic cutlets.
So next, if you are a food lover, visit Kolkata. Not only for the beautiful sights, the yellow taxis, the infrastructure, the Durga Puja but also for the world famous street food that you will never forget.
