List of Indian snacks

List of Indian Snacks

Indian cuisine is renowned for its diverse range of snacks, which vary significantly from region to region. These snacks, often referred to as "chaat" in Hindi, are an integral part of Indian food culture. They are typically enjoyed between meals, and are often served at social gatherings and special occasions. This article provides a comprehensive list of Indian snacks, with a brief description of each.

North Indian Snacks

Samosa - A fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, and sometimes meat.

Pakora - A fried snack, also known as a fritter, made from one or two ingredients such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, paneer, cauliflower, tomato, or chili pepper.

Chaat - A savory snack that originated in India, typically served as a hors d'oeuvre at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across the Indian subcontinent in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Pani Puri - A type of snack that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a round, hollow puri, filled with a mixture of flavored water, tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion or chickpeas.

South Indian Snacks

Idli - A type of savory rice cake, originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular as breakfast foods in Southern India and among Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Dosa - A cooked flat thin layered rice batter, originating from the South India, made from a fermented batter. It is somewhat similar to a crepe in appearance.

Vada - A category of savoury fried snacks from India. Different types of vadas can be described variously as fritters, cutlets, doughnuts, or dumplings.

Uttapam - A dosa-like dish made by cooking ingredients in a batter. Unlike a dosa, which is crisp and crepe-like, uttapam is a thick pancake, with toppings cooked right into the batter.

East Indian Snacks

Puchka - A version of the North Indian pani puri, popular in West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bangladesh.

Ghugni - A snack made from dried white peas, it is a common and affordable food in the Indian states of Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam.

Jhal Muri - A popular street food in eastern India, especially in West Bengal. It is made of puffed rice and an assortment of spices, vegetables, and chanachur or bhujia.

West Indian Snacks

Dhokla - A vegetarian food item that originates from the Indian state of Gujarat. It is made with a fermented batter derived from rice and split chickpeas.

Khandvi - A savory snack in Maharashtrian cuisine as well as in Gujarati cuisine of India. It consists of yellowish, tightly rolled bite-sized pieces.

Pav Bhaji - A fast food dish from India, consisting of a thick vegetable curry, fried and served with a soft bread roll.

This is a non-exhaustive food and drink related list.