10 Famous Street Food to Try in Kolkata

Street food and Kolkata are a match made in heaven. The food culture in Kolkata is as rich and vibrant as the Bengali culture. Whether you are a food connoisseur or not, you will surely love indulging in the famed Bengali cuisine. If you are visiting Kolkata, the City of Joy, here are the most famous street foods you must try.

Kathi Roll

If you are in Kolkata, eating Kathi Roll at a local street food joint must be at the top of your to-do list. It is a hearty meal made of flatbread stuffed with assorted savoury fillings and rolled like a Frankie. Over the years, it has gained immense popularity all over India, but you must not miss a chance to have it at its place of origin.

Originally founded at the historic Nizam Restaurant in Kolkata, Kathi Roll, in its most authentic form, included kebab meat rolled into a paratha so that it was convenient to eat on the go.

Jhalmuri

Spicy, crunchy, tangy, and sweet, Jhalmuri is one of the most famous street foods in Kolkata. It is the quintessential Bengali snack that you can find in every nook and corner of the city. The snack is made by tossing an assortment of ingredients like puffed-up rice (locals call it Murmura), peanuts, onions, tomatoes, chillies, condiments, and sweet and tangy sauce together and is served in a newspaper conical wrap. It can be best enjoyed as an evening snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

Dimer Devil

Kolkata’s version of a deviled egg, Dimmer Devil, consists of hard-boiled eggs that are deep-fried with a coating of minced meat and other ingredients. The delicious snack is perfect to satiate your hunger and get your daily dose of proteins on the go.

Puchka

Puchka is Kolkata’s answer to Mumbai’s famed snack, Pani Puri or Gol Gappa, as it is called in the northern parts of India. Stuffed with bits of mashed potatoes and spices and then filled to the brim with tamarind chutney, pudina, and pickled water, Puchkas are the best street food in Kolkata that you cannot afford to miss.

With every mouthful of Puchka, you can enjoy the different flavors – sweet, tangy, and spicy, that burst like a flavour bomb. You can taste everything distinctively, yet you feel like they are in perfect harmony.

Churmur

Much like the Puchka, this street food in Kolkata is made with a mix of crushed puchka, onions, tomatoes, spices, mashed potatoes, and tamarind pulp, or tetul gola as the locals call it. Although Churmur has a very similar taste to puchka, it is easier to eat. If you are on a mission to try as much street food in Kolkata, don’t miss out on trying Churmur.

Doodh Cola

This unique and inherently Kolkata beverage is made by mixing milk with cola or aerated soft drink, and it is served cold with or without ice (as per your preference) in clay cups. If you wonder if milk and cola are a weird combination, you would be surprised that the locals love it.

Having a glass of Doodh Cola is the perfect way to end your street food excursion after demolishing a few puchkas and gorging on Kathi Roll and Jhalmuri. Many street joints serve this creamy concoction, but you must try this beverage at Balwant Singh Eating House in Bhawanipur.

Channar Jilipi

Imagine the much-loved sweet and the humble Jalebi had a royal makeover. The result would be Channar Jilipi, which is more delicious. It is a treat for all sweet lovers; it is chewy, juicy, and soft. Channar Jilipi literally translates to ‘cottage cheese jalebi.’

When you bite into the sweet, you may feel like Gulab Jamun, and Jalebi are rolled into one. After munching on all the spicy, crunchy street food in Kolkata, you ought to have a Channar Jilipi or two to sweeten your tongue.

Telebhaja

When you think of an Indian snack, you may probably be thinking of Pakora, right? Well, Telebhaja is the Kolkata version of the same. It is a deep-fried snack and is a perfect accompaniment for your evening tea or coffee.

Made with the vegetables like potatoes and onions, or sometimes even minced meat, it is dipped in a batter and then deep-fried. You can find this delicious snack in almost every food street in Kolkata, as every vendor has their own version of it, and they serve it with an assortment of chutney that only elevates its taste.

Keemar Doi Bora

Doi is Yoghurt or curd in Bengali, and Bora is vada, combine them together, and you get a delicious Bengali street food snack item, Doi Bora. The Bora is dipped in sweet doi, and just before serving, it is sprinkled with ‘panch phoron,’ a mixture of five ingredients – chilli powder, cumin, cinnamon, black mustard seeds, and fenugreek grounded together.

The dish has all the elements that make it a perfect dessert. The sweetness of the doi is delicately balanced with the sprinkle of chilli powder and other condiments that make it not overly sweet and a delight to eat.

Luchi Aloor Dum

Luchi Aloor Dum is a famous street food in Kolkata, and the locals love it. You can have it any time, and it can be a snack or a full meal. Luchi is much like the Puris, and Alu Dum is just a Bengali version of Dum Aloo where the potatoes are cooked in Dum style and mixed with various spices.

The dish looks visually appetising and tastes even better. You can find many small stalls throughout Kolkata selling Luchi-Aloo Dum, and you must try it once to feel the heartbeat of Kolkata’s street food culture.

If reading about the delicious street food of Kolkata has already made you drool over it, it is time to plan a trip to West Bengal and grab a bite or two of some of the best street food in Kolkata.