f you regularly sigh at the shortage of vegan options at restaurants or while dining out, you almost certainly got to recover familiar with desi street food. From chaat to chhole bhature, masala dosa to momos, there’s an enormous spread on offer – and lots of are by default vegan (and nutritious to boot!)
For all those foodies who think chaat and namkeen need to be their own food group, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of vegan street foods found everywhere India – and that they are all delicious!
1. Gol Gappe/Pani Puri/Puchka
It goes by different names in several regions, but they’re unmistakable – puffed hollows crammed with khatta-meetha tamarind water, chana and aloo. This dish is inherently vegan and you’ll probe it greedily without having to stress about milk solids!
2. Bhel Puri
Another tasty sweet-sour-spicy snack, bhel puri has cold cereal , onion, a two sorts of chutney and heady sprinkling of coriander and lime. Another inherently vegan dish that hits the spot!
3. Sev Puri
A crispy, crunchy snack with a melange of chutneys and flavours, and a touchpotato to form it extra filling. While it’s inherently vegan, some stalls offer it up with dahi, so confirm you tell them you don’t want any yoghurt on yours.
4. Samosa, Samosa-pav, Samosa chaat
Who doesn’t love an honest samosa? Crispy on the surface and crammed with spicy aloo and veggies inside, it’s an excellent pick-me-up when you’re feeling hungry and wish something that’s filling. Variations like samosa chaat (smashed samosa with chutney and toppings), and samosa-pav also are vegan – just ask them to carry the butter thereon pav!
5. Aloo Tikki/Aloo Chaat
Move over French fries! this is often crispy potato-ey goodness. Aloo tikki and aloo chaat (cubed and fried aloo tossed in spicy chutney) are both inherently vegan, so no worries here!
6. Bhutta
A summertime favourite, roasted corn on the cob is are often found on street corners everywhere in season. It’s healthy, tasty and pure vegan!
7. Parantha
A parantha is technically vegan – it’s the butter that plays spoilsport. And in fact , the filling. Just ask your paranthawala to avoid butter and eat yours with a side of pyaaz or pickle rather than dahi and butter. While many stalls serve paneer, anda and cheese paranthas, there are far more vegan fillings to settle on from, like aloo, pyaaz-tamatar, mooli, matar, gobi and lots of more! So, keep this in mind and luxuriate in a wholesome and filling vegan snack.
8. Chhole Bhature
Street food in Delhi and Punjab isn’t complete without mention of this classic, and it’s one among those universal favourites which will be found over India. This one’s a ready vegan dish, waiting to be tucked into!
9. Vada Pav
Loved and relished by many Indians and therefore the late Anthony Bourdain with equal gusto, this spicy potato patty between bread may be a technically vegan – you only need to make sure that the pav doesn’t contain milk solids.
10. Dabeli
Originating in Kutch, this one is often considered a cousin of the Mumbai favorite, vada-pav. The spicy potato mixture is stuffed into a pav, grilled on a tawa, and topped with sev and pomegranate seeds. The pav are often buttered, so confirm you invite butter-free pav once your order – and be careful with milk solids within the pav, a bit like with vada-pav.
11. Pav Bhaji
A spicy veggie gravy with some pillowy pav on the side. Pav bhaji is notorious for giant gobs of butter, so would really like |you wish”> you would like to allow them to know that you simply would like yours without. And, just like the two items before this, search for plain pav that doesn’t contain milk solids.
12. Kachori
A crisp disc-shaped dumpling that’s fried and full of spices and lentils or vegetables. This too, is of course vegan so you’ll pick it up together with your eyes closed!
13. Ghugni Chaat
A Bengali street food staple, ghugni chaat consists of a soupy curry made from dried yellow peas, that’s served sort of a chaat, with chutneys and garnishes.
14. Jhal Muri
Another mainstay of the streets of Kolkata, jhal muri may be a spicy cold cereal snack that consists of cold cereal , raw mustard oil and spices. Naturally vegan and a secure option!
15. Veg Momos
Momos are available different shapes and sizes, but the great news is, veg momos happen to be naturally vegan, too! And since they’re steamed, they will be a healthy and filling snack.
16. Veg Roll/Veg Kathi Roll
Kolkata is documented for rolls – and if you choose a veg roll, then you’ve picked yourself a transportable vegan snack! Just make certain there’s no egg within the roll or batter.
17. Dal Pakore/Ram Laddoo
Known by different names, these lentil fritters are crispy, soft and fluffy on the within and served with green chutney. They’re also naturally vegan, making for a protein-packed teatime snack.
18. Poha
A popular dish across Maharashtra and other parts of central and north India, this dish is vegan – beaten rice flakes sautéed with spices. Variations include kaanda (onion) poha and batata poha (with potatoes).
19. Bombay Veg Sandwich
Probably as iconic to the utmost City because the Gateway of India, the Bombay sandwich is grilled sandwich with veggies, spicy coriander chutney, dry masalas and more. Many vendors tend to slather on the butter though, so ask them for an untoasted version or to skip the butter. Also, choose plain bread vs milk bread. Some vendors stock brown bread, too.
20. Onion Pakora/Kanda Bhaji/Bajji
We all romanticize chai-pakore on a rainy afternoon, but this onion rings fried in chickpea flour batter are great in any weather, and happen to be vegan too!
21. Mirchi Ke Pakode/Mirchi Bhaji/Mulagu Bajji
Mirch ke pakore in Delhi, Mirchi bhaji in Mumbai, and mulagu bajji in Kerala are almost like onion pakore and contain whole chilies dipped during a chickpea flour batter and deep-fried. they’re vegan, so you’ll blindly eat them.
22. Misal & Usal Pav
This Maharashtrian dish of sprouts curry with puffy pav may be a breakfast staple. It’s also pretty healthy, and contains no dairy or animal products. Win!
23. Sabudana Vada
Another Maharashtrian favorite, these are made from tapioca pearls and potatoes and a couple of simple spices. Again, a naturally vegan snack. Several places pair the vada with sweetened curd, so invite yours without it.
24. Poori Bhaji
Probably the closest thing that involves pan-Indian food , there are all types of variations of this dish – from dry aloo sabzi to spicier versions during a tomato “rassa”; from large pooris to tiny ones, each region features a special way of preparing it. But they’re all vegan!
25. Dosa
What wont to be a breakfast staple in Southern India has now grown to become a favorite for Indians all across the country, at any time of day. Plain dosas are vegan – lentil and rice batter made into a crepe with oil – but ghee and butter roast dosas are common on menus everywhere. Steer beyond the ghee varieties and you’re good to go!
26. Idli
Made from an equivalent batter as dosa, idlis are fermented and steamed, making them a healthier counterpart to the crispy dosa. barren of butter and ghee, these light dumplings are vegan – and attractive to boot! Enjoy yours with some sambar and chutney.
27. Medu Vada
Also called uzhunu vada in Kerala, these are fried, spiced urad dal fritters with no trace of ghee or butter. Dig in!
28. Parippu Vada
You may find these labelled “dal vada” in some menus. they’re almost like medu vada, but made up of a mixture of urad, moong and chana dal and are served with coconut chutney. Variations include “rasam vada,” where the vada is submerged in piping hot spicy rasam. provides it a try if you get an opportunity .
29. Ragda Pattice
Popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra, this dish consists of a “ragda” or gravy made up of dried white peas, and potato patties or “pattice”, garnished with coriander, onions and green chutney. Another one that’s naturally vegan, tasty and filling!
30. Khaman Dhokla
Dhokla may be a popular Gujarati snack, a steamed and fermented cake made up of gram flour and spices. Light, fluffy and mildy tangy and sweet, this is often an excellent snack for any time of day that tastes great with chutney.
31. Banana Fritters
A popular tea time snack in Kerala, this consists of ripe plantain/banana slices that are dipped during a simple maida and deep fried. Also called “pazham pori” or “ethakya appam,” confirm you provides it a try once you visit God’s Own Country.
32. Unniyappam
Another snack from Kerala, these are sweet fried dumplings made up of banana, coconut, ground rice, jaggery and spices. Since the balls of dough are fried in copra oil , the dish is ghee-free and naturally vegan.
33. Jalebi
It is sensible to finish on a sweet note, and yes, jalebis are vegan! On the basis of it, a jalebi may be a coil made up of flour that’s deep-fried and doused during a syrup. considerably vegan! Variations include imarti, which may be a thicker version of the jalebi found in Varanasi.
