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    Home » Journal

    My Love for Street Food

    January 16, 2012 by Kankana Saxena

    Even though I get intimidated and concerned about the hygiene, street food has always managed to pull me towards it. There are no table manners or no formal attire but the air is always casual and it's only about food. Call it fast food or junk food, street food has managed to win a lot of hearts.

    Whenever we visit Kolkata, eating out and enjoying street food is always a part of my plan. We would dedicate our evenings eating lots of Puchka and on other days, it would be all about the crispy fried Fish Finger, Chop or Eggroll. At times, we would like to go healthy and enjoy some Steamed Momos or something as plain as Bhel Puri. The options are endless and there is always something new to try.

    I've visited Kolkata several times but I am pretty much sure I haven't tried all the street food that the city has to offer. Every little lane, every little corner in the city will have at least one tiny spot where you can find a food cart ready to fill your appetite!

    During our last trip, we walked by those lanes several evenings, capturing some moments as we shop, ate and click.

    One of my all time favorites - Puchka! 

    A very light snack bite made with puffed rice and some spice mix.

    I tried this particular snack for the first time. Not sure what it's called but it tasted amazing. Like I said before, there is always something new to try 🙂

    I wouldn't recommend eating street food everyday but once in a while, it's fun to hop around from one vendor to another. Get mesmerized with the aroma, filled by the warmth.. forget hygiene for a while and enjoy what they have to offer.

    She was adorable and kept smiling as she fried those fritters.

    After all that eating, we all need to quench our thirst!

    This green color machine you see in the picture below is used to crush the ice which is then used to make Gola something like shaved ice.

    We love masala tea and at the end of a busy day, there is nothing more relaxing than a hot cup of tea!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen

      January 18, 2012 at 6:01 pm

      I love all your photos, they transport me there and make me hungry! Really beautiful.

    2. Asmita

      January 18, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      Love street food and really pig out on it when i go back home . I wish i could have a kala khatta gola right now. Yum!!!
      Another favorite of mine is sugarcane juice. I need a. Tripback home soon.
      Lovely pictures kankana.

    3. Radhika | Just Home Made

      January 18, 2012 at 4:16 pm

      Beautiful!
      You got me drooling for all the road side chaats!

    4. Magic of Spice

      January 18, 2012 at 3:46 pm

      What a fabulous post! These pictures are amazing, would love to do this sometime 🙂

    5. Sudha

      January 18, 2012 at 12:53 pm

      Dear Kankana,
      Your post made me so nostalgic - my dear ol' Kolkata and its amazing amazing street food!I really miss them and everytime I'm home,the first thing I do is gorge on 'Phuchkas' throwing hygiene to the winds!:)Lovely pictures and I know that I'm going to come back again and again to this post - thanks for visiting my place - loved to have you there:)

    6. Nami | Just One Cookbook

      January 18, 2012 at 10:56 am

      Kankana, you take amazing pictures and post processed them perfectly. It's hard to believe you don't have any professional background in photography! Thanks for sharing all these pictures. I really, really enjoyed them. I'm sure you got inspired by delicious street food to make something at home? 🙂

    7. Maja

      January 18, 2012 at 8:10 am

      Amazing photos Kankana! I love street food too, but here everything looks delicious!

    8. Charles

      January 18, 2012 at 4:44 am

      Wow, so much food!!! I feel sad because France doesn't really *do* street food. The most you will find is a crêpe stand selling pancakes with nutella and banana - which is nice, but sometimes I feel like hotdogs or even more varied things like the delicious stuff you've posted here!

    9. a spoonful of yumm

      January 17, 2012 at 10:50 pm

      great captures !! 🙂

    10. Amrita

      January 17, 2012 at 6:04 pm

      Street food, though unhygienic, is one of the best tasting in India...no one can beat the bhel puris, channa bhaturas served by roadside dhabas and vendors. I miss Indian street food!

    11. sally

      January 17, 2012 at 5:50 pm

      Looks like a fun and tasty activity to do in Kolkata! Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos!

    12. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

      January 17, 2012 at 3:54 pm

      I love masala tea too, but that gola has my name all over it. Need some, now 😀

    13. Juliana

      January 17, 2012 at 3:13 pm

      Great pictures Kankana...I haven't had street food for a while.
      Thanks for sharing them.
      Hope you are having a great week 🙂

    14. Shumaila

      January 17, 2012 at 12:47 pm

      DO I love you for transporting me back to India and all the spicy 'chatpata' food that is available there or do I hate you for making me miss it so much right now and making me curse my luck that I do not have access to it? Lovely photos as always, Kankana!

    15. Anna

      January 17, 2012 at 12:25 pm

      Beautiful post! The only street food I ever tried was gyros or kebabs in Europe. They are very good and since then I have been trying to recreate it at home. There is something special about wondering the streets of a city while enjoying the food.

    16. jules @ bananamondaes

      January 17, 2012 at 12:10 pm

      Great photos. The food looks sensational.

    17. My Wandering Spoon

      January 17, 2012 at 11:27 am

      What an amazing post. It is like segment for Food channel shows. Thank you for posting. I am big fan of street food, great flavors and different combinations:)

    18. Kitchen Belleicious

      January 17, 2012 at 10:12 am

      I love street food too but I am loving your amazing photography talent just as much! these pictures are amazing

    19. Vijitha

      January 17, 2012 at 9:15 am

      Gorgeous pictures!!! Reminds me of my trip to Kolkatta about ages ago. I love the chaats there and with regard to shopping, I enjoyed walking through the streets and checking out the colorful platform shops.

    20. Malli

      January 17, 2012 at 9:15 am

      Gorgeous photos!! No matter what I agree with you. I can never get enough street food when I go to Kerala and nothing beats the taste of this food. There are some real good cooks out there on the street who are not given enough recognition... and I love that you gave these folks some credit:) thanks.

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