If you don’t binge on Kolkata’s street food and wash it down with a clay pot of tea, they claim, you’re not a native. Vendors at little stalls can be found in every lane and alley of the city, calling out for clients and tending to those waiting. The best blend of inexpensive and tasty street cuisine can be found in Kolkata. Maybe this is why Kolkata is frequently referred to as a foodie’s paradise.

Even more intriguing is the fact that Kolkata is home to a wide variety of ethnicities and communities, which can be seen in the vast array of flavours. For instance, the city’s version of the iconic British dish of fish and chips is the good old fish fry, and chops and cutlets are mostly European dishes with Indian influences. Dal pakodi (lentil fritters), which you can buy from street sellers throughout the city, was brought here from Rajasthan by Marwari business people. 

In contrast, our enduring affection for chowmein and chilli chicken is due to Chinese immigrants who arrived in Kolkata more than 200 years ago. The last remaining Jewish bakery in the city is Nahoum, and Kolkata’s momo sector has been completely taken over by Tibetan cuisine.

How does Kolkata’s street food never fail to amaze everyone? 

Kolkata’s street cuisine offers flavours and textures from a spicy kick to complete simplicity, savoury to tart to sweet, and everything in between.

It’s understandable why it’s drawn and awed by food experts, industry titans, and Michelin-star chefs like Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsey, and Rick Stein.

Here are reasons why Kolkata street food is best:

There is more diversity in Kolkata:

Delhi is known for shaming diversity, and its street food reflects this phenomenon. Street food in Kolkata is a seamless fusion of local and immigrant flavours. All three cuisines—Bengali, Chinese, and Tibetan—coexist peacefully.

1. Less burning masala:

In contrast to Delhi, Kolkata’s street food doesn’t require a lot of burning masala that will turn you into a shitball of fire. Less masala, more magic Kolkata seasoning is a subtly spicy flavour with a zesty, acidic aftertaste.

2. It’s dirt cheap: 

Delhi may think your street food is affordable, but anything over $100 in Kolkata is regarded as absurdly expensive.

3. Almost everything is orange:

Speaking of orange gravy, why on earth is all the street food in Delhi orange? Get a variety of colours if not for your taste senses.

4. Lots of pork: 

Pork thupka, steaming pork momos, breaded pork chops, and chili pork wouldn’t be complete without it. And they are a rare sight in Delhi.

Best street food in Kolkata 

Here’s the list of some best street food in Kolkata:

1. Jhalmuri:

Jhalmuri is a tasty street meal that can be found in every corner of the city and is a simple and speedy snack. Puffed rice, namkeen, peanuts, coriander, onions, tomatoes, spices, chiles, and other ingredients are combined to make the snack.

It is the quickest and best street food in Kolkata because it requires no frying or oil. You can eat it on the go by itself or with a cup of hot tea. A conical newspaper wrap is then used to serve the finished product.

2. Keemar Doi Bora:

Keemar Doi Bora is made by dropping beef Dahi Bada into sweet dahi and then sprinkling panch phoron—cinnamon, a dash of red chili powder, cumin, black mustard seeds, and fenugreek—over the top. This distinctive cuisine is one of the best street foods in Kolkata for north Indians to taste.

3. Phuchka:

The best street food in Kolkata is unquestionably puchkas, loaded with tamarind chutney, pickled water, pudina, and lime after being spiced. They are members of the golgappa family, but what distinguishes them from golgappa or pani puris is the distinctive flavour of Kolkata.

4. Churmur: 

Similar to puchka, this street meal from Kolkata is made up of mashed potatoes, onions, spices, tetul gola, or tamarind pulp. Churmur is simpler to eat, even though it has a flavour comparable to Phuchka. If you don’t sample Churmur, your tour of Kolkata’s street food is lacking.

5. Ghugni Chaat:

If you’ve ever had Mumbai’s Ragda, you may have some idea of what we’re talking about when we talk about ghugni chaat. The primary ingredient in ghugni is boiling yellow and white peas, which are then mixed with onions, coriander, tomatoes, spices, and tamarind pulp. The popularity of this street dish in Kolkata is well-deserved.

6. Mughlai Parantha: 

A flatbread stuffed with chicken keema and broken cutlets, onion, and eggs is known as a Mughlai paratha. This street food from Kolkata is among the most soul-satisfying and stomach-filling options. Mughlai paratha, which can be found practically anywhere in the city, is good to try.

7. Momos: 

If you want to experience Kolkata’s street food, you must taste the momos or dumplings. These steamed or fried buns come with fillings of vegetables, chicken, pork, and fish and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just as a snack.

8. Kati Roll:

These excellent and substantial flatbread rolls filled with various savoury contents are known as kati rolls, and both vegetarians and non-vegetarians love them. However, you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample them in Kolkata, where they were first introduced. The roll’s alleged birthplace is Kolkata’s famed Nizam Restaurant. The original version of the dish featured kebab meat rolled up inside a parantha for portability and convenience.

9. Telebhaja: 

This deep-fried food, a staple in Kolkata, is similar to what is known as pakoras elsewhere in the nation. The snack is a beautiful addition to tea in the evening and consists of meat or vegetables that have been battered and deep-fried. The vegetables are frequently potatoes.

10. Fish Cutlet: 

This mouthwatering treat is a filling snack you can find on street-side food stalls all over the city. It is made of chopped fish and vegetables that have been mixed and reshaped into small discs before being dipped in batter and deep-fried. Fish fillets are occasionally prepared by simply dropping them into a batter and deep-frying them.

Conclusion

You’d assume that as restaurants proliferate, Kolkata’s street cuisine would gradually disappear. The exact reverse is true in reality. The popularity of Kolkata’s jhalmuri, telebhaja, phuchka, roll, and chowmein has only grown exponentially. We don’t know when it will happen! The city is full of historical treasures, from art to architecture, but the street cuisine is the most amazing. And unlike many other things in the past, its popularity hasn’t suffered even the slightest blip.

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