Street Foods of Kolkata

Food is synonymous to Bengalis - the residents of West Bengal. Food cultivates their soul. Food triggers conversations. Food is the pivot for discussing politics - a favorite topic of conversation in West Bengal. And here food means street food.

Fine dining is for a different purpose. So don't get me wrong. There are excellent fine dining spots in the city of Kolkata, capital of the state of West Bengal. These places serve excellent food, at prices that don't rip you off. But all that for another day and post.

The city is littered - literally, with street food vendors, most common among them are tea stalls. They serve tea with biscuits, chops (deep fried veg fritters), muri (puffed rice) and of course, no tea stall will survive if they do not sell cigarettes! Most popular street food is undoubtedly 'jhal-muri' (puffed rice mixed with plenty of ingredients, as you see in the above picture). It can be found on footpaths, train stations, bus stops but not at any street food or tea stall.

The next thing to die for is 'phuchka'. A crispy, hollow, ball shaped, deep dried crisp that is stuffed with boiled, mashed potatoes mixed with spices and chopped green chillies, dipped in tamarind water. This dish is called 'pani-puri' in Mumbai, 'gol-gappa' in Delhi and other names is various parts of the country.

The next most favorite snack or tea-time accompaniment is 'tele-bhaja' (colloq.) - meaning deep fried(literally) - it could be potatoes fritters, onion fritters or mixed-veg chop. In some cases chicken or mutton chops as well. They may be served on a bed of puffed rice, possibly to make is easier on the palate as the fritters are extremely oily, but super-tasty. For a tired office goer before going back home, a cup of tea on the roadside with a plate of tele-bhaja is heavenly. It is a de-stresser beyond par.

Kolkata is the only city in India where you will find 'samosas' filled with meat. You will find samosas filled with khoya(a version of baked cottage cheese). The typical Kolkata samosa, lovely called 'singara' is filled with cauliflower, green peas and peanuts fried with spices. Samosa, also a common North Indian snack, is filled with mashed potatoes spiced with green chillies, black pepper, cumin powder and mango powder. The Kolkata variant is very typical and unique in its preparation and presentation, that it stands out with a reputation and name for itself. Kolkata singara is also much smaller than its Delhi variation, in size.

Ghugni, a simple, less spicier than other dishes, is made of boiled chick-peas in a semi-mushy gravy that is cooked with spices like cumin powder, dried mango powder and salt, garnished with diced onions, chopped coriander, green chillies(optional), sometimes with deep fried thick semolina pieces and one slice of raw coconut. It is served in a small bowl called dona .. dona is a bowl made from broad leaves of Banyan tree or Sal tree, stitched together with tiny wooden sticks. Nowadays, they are also machine made where they were pressed together at high temp and pressure, instead of being stitched with wooden sticks.

Most street food across India is served on old-newsprint material cut into various sizes. You may be thinking of health challenges - sure, it is not the most healthiest of option, but it is a traditional way of serving for several years. Now things are changing rapidly.

Finally no mention of Kolkata rolls in a discussion on street food, is blasphemy. In fact people of Kolkata believe and it is ratified by other Indians that rolls were invented in Kolkata. Kolkata rolls, Egg roll, Chicken roll, Mutton roll, SIngle egg Single Mutton and any other permutation of the terms egg, chicken, mutton, single and double can be ordered at any roll vendor. In fact you may find Kolkata rolls being sold across several states of India, some for them just using the name "Kolkata Rolls" and some of them serving the authentic taste of Kolkata roll. Kolkata roll is made of refined wheat flour flatbread, pan-fried with a coating of egg, filled with a filling of your choice (egg, mutton or chicken, sometimes even paneer(i.e cottage cheese) - but very rare), and topped with sliced cabbage, carrots and onions, layered with unique sauces. Then rolled up and served in a butter paper, closed on one end and held in your hand, and tearing off the paper as you devour through the length of the roll.

See the picture of Kusum Rolls on Park Street. If you were to ever visit Park Street in Kolkata, you must try one of their legendary rolls.

More on must visit places on Park Street in the next blog.

Ciao! and keep sharing your comments.

Street Foods of Kolkata