Kolkata Street food
Kolkata is one city in India where no one goes to bed hungry, thanks to its street food, which is both delicious and pocket-friendly. Even a leisure stroll through the city’s vibrant streets will lead you to numerous stalls offering the best street foods in Kolkata at affordable prices.
From the rich fillings of Kathi Rolls to the tangy and spicy flavours in Puchkas, Kolkata street food is a culinary adventure for your taste buds. Furthermore, the first bite of Churmur and the melting of momo in your mouth will leave you craving more of these iconic street foods in Kolkata.
So, on your next visit to the city of joy, pair your mornings and evenings with this Kolkata street food and your taste buds with thank you!
Need more guidance? Opt for SOTC’s exclusive Kolkata city tour packages to ensure a hassle-free and delightful experience. We will tailor your itinerary to include the best places to visit and the most delectable street food to savour, making your culinary journey in Kolkata memorable.
On top of the most delicious Kolkata street food is the Kathi Roll, which both vegetarians and non-vegetarians can enjoy. Kolkata’s famous Kati Rolls come with their twist of delectable flavour. Still, most street stalls stuff a thin paratha or roti (flatbread rolls) with spicy vegetables or minced chicken pieces, eggs, or kebab meat, depending on your choice.
Here’s a fascinating historical tidbit about this savoury snack — the Kolkata Kathi Roll was first invented in the city of joy. A restaurant named ‘Nizam’ crafted the country’s inaugural Kathi Roll in the early 20th century, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of Kolkata’s street food culture.
Kathi Roll soon became a popular dish amongst the Britishers, who took its recipe to England, and Kolkata Kathi Roll became a buzzword worldwide. Luckily, you won’t have to travel halfway across the world to get the best Kathi Rolls because the restaurant is still open in the New Market area of Kolkata. You must visit the place to get the authentic Kathi Rolls in the city.
For an authentic taste of Kathi Rolls Kolkata, head to Campari in Ballygunge, Hot Kathi Roll and Kusum Rolls in Park Street, Bedwin in the Gariahat area, or Parijat in Shakespeare Sarani. These renowned street food vendors have perfected the art of making Kathi Rolls and are a must-visit for any food enthusiast in Kolkata.
Average Price – INR 300
Puchkas are known by various names around India — Paani Puri, Paani Batashe, Golgappa, and Gupchup. In Kolkata and nearby areas, it is referred to as Puchkas and is amongst the best street food in the city.
To say that Puchka in Kolkata is like culinary drops made in heaven would be an understatement. These small and delicate puris have an opening in the middle which is filled with chickpeas, tamarind water, chutney (sweet or sour, depending on the consumer), and other spices.
It is said that the journey of puchkas goes back to the time of the Magadha kingdom when kings and queens treated themselves to ‘Phulkis’, later known as puchkas.
Kolkata Puchka is one street food that can be enjoyed by people of all classes — the richest on the planet to those slogging their bodies to make ends meet. The reason is the unique flavours and lip-smacking taste of the best Kolkata street food ever!
Some of the most popular places to try Puchka in Kolkata include Vivekananda Park for paneer puchka, chocolate puchka, green chilly puchka, Durga Pandit ka Puchka in Lake Kalibari for aloo dum puchka and dahi puchka, and Kolkata Chat Centre in Bara Bazar for ‘spicy puchkas.’
Average Price – INR 150
When talking about the famous street food in Kolkata, you can’t miss out on the succulent Shingara, which is as popular as Samosa across India. It is a crispy, triangular-shaped fried pastry shell filled with mixed ingredients that may include spiced-up potato, peas, onions, lentils, and aromatic masala, like cumin, turmeric, and coriander.
It is golden yellow (due to deep frying), is served with sweet or sour chutney (sauce), and tastes the best with a cup of tea. In Kolkata, it is famous as Shingara, and you would find a vendor selling this dish on every corner of the city.
It is believed that the Mughals introduced Samosa to the Indian subcontinent during the 13th or 14th century. Since then, it has been a part of Indian food and is one of the best street foods in Kolkata.
While many parts of the country serve only vegetarian Samosa, Kolkata samosa has non-vegetarian options, like mutton samosa, in selective stalls. Some of the top places to try Shingara in the city are Sufia in Bara Bazaar, New Saurashtra Nimki House in Bhowanipur, Maharani in Lake Market, and Tewari Brothers in New Alipore (considered the best in the city) for its amchur powder recipe.
Average Price – INR 15 per piece
A street-side Bengali delicacy, Luchi and Alu Dom can easily make it to the top five of Kolkata’s best street food. Luchi is a deep-fried bread, just like roti but fluffier and softer, made from refined flour. It melts in the mouth and is best served hot with gravy or curry.
In this case, it is eaten with Alu Dom, which is a spiced potato curry cooked with tomato, onion, ginger, garlic and a variety of aromatic spices like chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin, garam masala, black pepper, and more.
It was brought to the Indian subcontinent around the 16th century and soon became popular among citizens. Around this time, Kolkata prepared its rendition of the original Aloo Dum recipe. Bengalis love to have Luchi with fish curry, and they reckon it tastes as incredible as the original combination. In all cases, the dish is served piping hot!
Over the years, Luchi and Alu Dom became a Bengali cuisine that can be eaten anytime, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is also not heavy on the stomach, even if you eat more than two or three Luchis. However, everyone has their capacity for food, so choose your count accordingly.
If you are looking for an excellent place to try Luchi and Alu Dom in Kolkata, head to Fairlie Palace in the central business district of Kolkata. However, it is a busy street with a maddening corporate crowd looking for morning and evening snacks.
Go to Bhojohori Manna, Kewpie’s, Ebela Obela, and The Bhoj Company for calmer places. You can also find certain street-side stalls serving this delicacy, which tastes as good as popular restaurants.
Average Price: INR 200 to INR 400
If you are walking past the city streets while on the Kolkata tour, you will easily take in the aroma of stir-fried noodles cooked with Indian spices. Locals refer to it as Chow Mein, an Indo-Chinese fusion of sizzling noodles mixed with various Indian spices, vegetables, minced meat, eggs, and sauces.
Interestingly, Kolkata was once home to more than 20000 Chinese who moved to China or elsewhere. However, the country’s culinary culture was preserved in Kolkata and remains. You can find desi noodles in food joints, street stalls, and top restaurants, but to get the authentic taste and flavour of the dish, visit Chinatown in Tiretti Bazaar.
The place is lit with Chinese decorations and settings, especially during the Chinese New Year, and deserves all the attention it gets. You should also try rice dumplings with soup before noodles; you will love the combination!
Average Price – INR 300
Kolkata’s Jhalmuri is one of the most tempting street foods in Kolkata. An assortment of Indian spices, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, and chanchur mixed in puffed rice, Jhalmuri exhibits the city’s vibrant nature of joy.
The iconic street food of Kolkata traces its history to the 19th century when Britishers, when many workers migrated to Bihar and Odisha, moved to Kolkata and saw a business opportunity of selling Jhalmuri to the Britishers. Rest, as they say, was history.
The puffed rice mixture combines Bengali and Bihari recipes, eventually becoming Kolkata’s culinary history. The best part? It is a staple of Kolkata’s street food scene and is usually sold by street vendors across every street and corner, typically costing less than INR 20.
Average Price – INR 10 to 30
As already mentioned, Kolkata has been home to east asians for a long time, so momo, a Tibetan cuisine, has also become the comfort food of Kolkata people. It is a delicious dish from vegetables, paneer, and spices covered in a white ball of simple flour. The dish is served with spicy sauce, soup, or chutney.
You can eat momos steamed, fried, or covered in Schezwan sauce or with cheese or meat. You can eat various momos across the city, but traditional momos are made with the ingredients.
Some top places to try this famous street food in Kolkata include Denzong Kitchen, Momo I am in Lake Gardens, Hamro Momo in Elgin, and The Blue Poppy in Thakali, Park Street area.
Average Price – INR 40 to INR 200
Tele Bhaja is widely considered as the undisputed king of the best street food in Kolkata. It has a glorious history related to the independence of India. Neta Ji’s Tele Bhaja Shop, named after Subhash Chandra Bose, a prominent freedom fighter, holds a special place in that history. It is said that Bose often sought refuge in this shop.
The shop is over 100 years old and offers free Tele Bhaja on Neta Ji’s birthday, 23rd January. You can also find this popular Kolkata street food at Kalika Mukhorochok Telebhaja in College Street, which is over 50 years old, Fairlie Palace, and Gariahat.
The deep-fried snack, ranging from potato fritters to eggplant slices or mutton chops, is usually eaten hot and is available on almost every food joint across the streets of Kolkata.
Average Price – INR 20 to 50
Ghugni is a beloved Kolkata street food that comes as part and parcel of your Kolkata trip package. When dried yellow peas are soaked, boiled, and sautéed with ginger, garlic, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cumin, turmeric, and other aromatic spices, we call it Ghugni or Ghugni chaat.
The lovely street food is garnished with a squeeze of lime and cilantro and served with onions, green chilli, and sauce. It is tantalising to the taste buds! Served with roti or paratha, this semi-liquid dish is the perfect street snack before a meal. You should try Chat Chowpatty on Ho Chi Minh Sarani Road, Basu Da r Ghugni in Kalighat, and Vardaan Market to eat the best Ghugni in Kolkata.
Average Price – INR 200
Churmur, puchka’s cousin, is another delicacy filled with tangy spices, potato, papris, and tamarind pulp. One can add a variety of chutney, from sweet to sour, even mixed, to enhance their taste.
Most places serving Kolkata Puchka also serve Churmur, but some of the best include Dakshinapan Shopping Complex, Bada Puchkawala in New Alipore, and Amrita Chat Centre in Selimpur. So, make sure that your Kolkata city tour package includes the tangy flavour of Churmur, along with more Kolkata street foods.
Average Price: INR 50
The city of joy bursts with authentic and rich flavours of Kolkata street food that are enticing enough to make you ditch your diet. SOTC has created exclusive Kolkata tour packages that will include Kolkata’s most famous street food and the best places to eat it, all within limited days. So, connect with our experts today!
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