When it comes to street food, India tops the chart. Every state has its own kind of street food to boast about – and why not? With a mélange of spices and vegetables, Indian street food is one of its kind. We all have our favorite hawkers we go to for these yummy roadside delicacies. But as much as we love the taste, we really should avoid eating street food and specially during the bacteria filled monsoons. But don’t worry, you can make all your favourites at home too!
1. Bhel Puri
Crispy, sweet and tangy are the flavors of this savory. It’s easy to whip up, making the perfect snack to fill your tummy in the evenings.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups Puffed Rice
• 3 tsp. Coriander Mint Chutney
• 3 tsp Tamarind Chutney
• 1/2 cup chopped Onion
• 1/2 cup chopped Tomato
• 1 tsp. chopped Green Chilli
• 3 tbsp. chopped Coriander
• 1/2 cup cubed Boiled Potato
• 2 tbsp. chopped Raw Mango
• Salt
• ½ tsp. Healthy Alternatives Organic Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp. Chaat Masala
• 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Sev
Instructions:
1.Add all the ingredients except puffed rice and sev in a large bowl and mix well.
2.Add the puffed rice and mix nicely.
3.Transfer the bhel puri in serving bowl and garnish with sev.
4.Serve
2. Bhajias
Oh, what wouldn’t you give to have pakodas or bhajias on a cold rainy day along with hot tea! There is nothing more comforting then sitting at the window enjoying these yummy snacks with your loved ones.
Ingredients:
• 1 head cauliflower (or other vegetable of your choice; potato, spinach leaves, onion, paneer for example)
• 1 cup Bengal gram flour
• ½ tsp. Healthy Alternatives Organic Red Chilli Powder
• 1 pinch Healthy Alternatives-Natural Asofoetida (Hing)
• ½ tsp. Healthy Alternatives Organic Turmeric Powder: Getting back to the roots
• 1 tsp. Healthy Alternatives- Organic Bishop’s Weeds (Ajwain)
• Salt
• Vegetable Oil
Instructions:
1.Mix the gram flour and all the spices with a little water at a time, to make a thick batter and add salt to taste.
2.If using cauliflower, cut it into bite-sized pieces. For potatoes and onions cut them into thin slices; for spinach leaves trim the stems and keep only leaves and for paneer cut into about an inch cubes.
3.Pre-heat oil and reduce flame to medium. This will allow the bhajias to cook well both on the outside and inside.
4.Coat the vegetables well with batter and then deep fry till gold. Drain on paper towels and serve with ketchup or chutney.
3. Chicken Kathi Roll
Hailing from the streets of Kolkata, this dish has become quite a favorite all over the country. You can serve these up for dinner or for a great snack.
Ingredients:
• 6 skinlesss boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces.
• 4 tbsp. yoghurt
• 2 grated ginger
• 3 grated garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp. Healthy Alternatives Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• ½ tsp. Healthy Alternatives Organic Turmeric Powder: Getting back to the roots
• ½ tsp. paprika powder
• ½ tsp. Healthy Alternatives Organic Coriander Powder
• ½ tsp. cumin powder
• ½ tsp. Healthy Alternatives Organic Chilli Powder
• 2 tsp tandoori powder
• 4 Onion, (2 finely chopped and 2 sliced)
• 1 finally chopped red chilli
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• ¼ tsp. sugar
• Salt
• 4 Lachha Parathas
Instructions:
1. Turn on your grill at the highest temperature setting & line a baking tray. Place the chicken pieces, yoghurt, ginger, garlic, 2 tsp. oil and all the spices in a bowl & mix well.
2. Scatter the chicken pieces on the baking tray & place in the grill for 12-14 minutes or until fully cooked and remove from grill. (The chicken should be white all the way through).
3. Heat remaining oil in a pan. Add the onions & cook until light golden. Then add the grilled chicken & mix. Sautee for around 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt to taste.
4. Now in a bowl mix the sliced onions, chilly, lime juice and sugar. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes. This will be your salad.
5. To assemble the kathi roll, place a paratha on a plate, top with chicken and onion salad and roll up in foil. Serve.
4. Aloo Tikki Recipe
Quite a common street food, aloo tikki is the perfect carb heavy comfort food. You can either make a chaat out of it or serve them directly along with hot beverages.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup steamed green peas
• 3 boiled and peeled Potatoes
• 2 boiled and peeled sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 2 finely chopped green chillies
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 2 tbsp. green chutney
• 1 tbsp. corn flour
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• Healthy Alternatives Organic Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil
• Salt
Instructions:
1. In a food processor, add in both the boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes, the steamed green peas, ginger, green chillies, onion, chutney, some salt to taste and finally corn flour binding.
2. Cover the food processor and blend until the potatoes are coarsely mashed and all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
3. Transfer the potato dough into a bowl.
4. Grease your fingers with a little oil and shape the potato dough into bite size tikkis or large lemon size balls, dust them in breadcrumbs and place them on the baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5. Now place the tikkis in an oven preheated to 200 C and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Serve as it is with some tamarind chutney or make chole aloo tikki chaat. Choice is yours.
Looking for some healthy swaps for your breakfast? Try Healthy Indian Breakfast Recipes