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Street food is an essential part of any travel experience. It's not only a great way to fill your stomach on a backpacker's budget but key to understanding the traditions and history of the area that you're in.
One place whose street food diverse and plentiful is India. Every region has its own delicacies that are sold by sidewalk vendors, holes in the wall and pushcarts.
Eat your way through the labyrinth of Indian street food with this regional guide.
Gujarat's dabeli
Dabeli is Gujarat's version of a western burger that's sold on every street corner in the city.
SBS Food India Unplated co-host , explains, "Typically, dabeli would be made with mashed potatoes and lots of different spices, lots of garlic chutney, lots of green chutney, deep-fried peanuts and sev."
This sweet and spicy mix is stuffed between two soft pav buns and makes the perfect pre-dinner snack.
Assam's pithas
Pitha is a must-try Assamese street food that's a cross between a fritter and pancake.
The batter is made from a special type of glutinous rice called 'bora saul' and is fried or steamed in a bamboo stem. Savoury variations with cabbage or radish are enjoyed at breakfast and sweet pithas with coconut or jaggery make a typical teatime snack.
Rajasthan's gol gappas
Visit any roadside stand in Rajasthan and it'll be piled with mountains of gol gappas.
These puffed crisp balls are basically a version of pani puri and stuffed with a spicy mix of potatoes and lentils, and tangy, tamarind water.
Rajasthani people consider them a stamp and much more than just an evening snack.
Kerala's appam
It's virtually impossible to miss a vendor selling appam in Kerala. These lacy, fluffy hoppers are made from ground rice that has been fermented with a local palm sap alcohol called 'toddy'.
Appams are cooked on a hot pan, like a pancake, which gives them thin and crispy edges and soft, pillowy centres. They pair well with a hearty vegetable stew and are typically eaten for breakfast or dinner.
Kashir's nadir monji
Source: Andrew Dorn
Another co-host of India Unplated, , tells SBS Food, "Nadir monji is synonymous to comfort street food in Kashmir.
"In the evening, specifically outside mosques or temples or main bazaars, they will have these huge woks filled with oil and kilos of nadir monji."
The lotus root fritters are covered in a spiced, rice-flour batter and deep fried in a karahi. They are best served hot with chutney.
Punjab's chicken tikka
Chicken tikka is a cultural icon in Punjab and can be found in every nook and cranny around the city. Small pieces of boneless chicken are marinated in spices and dahi (yogurt), spiked onto skewers and roasted over charcoal in a tandoor oven.
Tandoori dishes are the embodiment of Punjabi cuisine.
Punjabi chef and owner of , Inderpreet Singh Minhas, says, "To Indians, tandoori dishes are the embodiment of Punjabi cuisine."
“The thing that I love most is the smoky flavour you get from it, and the different variations."
West Bengal's kathi rolls
In West Bengal, you'll find endless queues of hungry city dwellers lining up for a kathi roll.
EASY MEAL
Lamb kathi rolls
This versatile snack traditionally consists of juicy kebab meat that's enfolded in a paratha wrap.
There are also modern vegetarian varieties with mixed vegetables and paneer.
Madhya Pradesh's poha-jalebi
It's easy to spot tiny carts across Madhya Pradesh selling poha-jalebi. The poha, a savoury breakfast dish, is made out of flattened rice and served alongside sweet jalebi that's been deep fried and soaked in syrup.
SWEET TREAT
Jalebi
When combined, poha-jalebi makes a light yet satisfying breakfast.
Andhra Pradesh's punugulu
Every region has a famous fried food and in Andhra Pradesh, it's punugulu.
These crispy fritters are prepared with a spiced rice and lentil batter that's often left over from idli or dosa.
Punugulu are best eaten with spicy peanut chutney and can be devoured at any time of the day.
