Last week I spoke about the incredible experience of eating street food in India....but I got so carried away while talking about the local authenticity unique to eating off the street that I never actually got to explain any of the delectable things I've actually eaten. This post is thus dedicated to the plethora of tasty treats I've purchased from pick-up trucks, metal carts, dingy alleyways, and outdoor campus canteens during my stay here in India. If there's one characteristic that all of these delicacies have in common, it is the overwhelming presence of carbohydrates. Sometimes carbs take the starring role -- there's more varieties of fried dough here than at the Texas State fair -- but even when they aren't the main event, they always play an integral role. Whether it's dough wrapped around spicy fillings, thin crepes served with a myriad of dipping sauces, or sweet dough for dessert, if you want to embrace street food in India, you absolutely have to embrace the high-carb diet. But believe me, it's totally worth it...
Vada Pav: Basically a mini sandwich made of fried potatoes. Basically an ingenious idea. Imagine mashed potatoes taken to the next level with green peas, turmeric, and masala spices. This yummy mix gets rolled into a ball and deep fried till it's crispy and golden brown on the outside, and soft and warm on the inside. Then, it's placed in between the halves of an uber soft roll toasted and brushed with melted butter. Top it off with a green chili, some masala spice powder, and a sweet and spicy tomato ketchup and this classic Mumbai street food is ready to hit your taste buds.
Jalebi: India's answer to the American funnel cake, jalebi blows our quintessential state fair treat out of the water. A thin batter is drizzled into hot sesame oil in little squiggle shapes -- think personal-sized funnel cakes. Unlike funnel cake, however, jalebi batter becomes crispy, crunchy even, on the outside when it is finished frying. After being pulled from the hot oil these little squiggles of deliciousness are drenched in lemon infused sugar syrup. When you bite into one, first there's a satisfying crunch, followed by a rush of warm, citrus syrup and the chewiness of the inner dough.
Dosa: Dosa are savory South Indian crepes made of a thin, fermented rice and lentil batter that makes them taste a little like sourdough and a little sweet. The batter is spread into a paper-thin layer on an oiled griddle, and cooked until it is perfectly crisp on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside. Then, it is filled with any number of fillings. The classic dosa filling is Aloo Masala, a slightly sweet, slightly spicy potato and onion mixture, but fillings can range from paneer cheese and red curry sauce to a Chinese-style spring roll filling. The dosa is folded three times like an omelet, and served with various chutneys, a quintessential part of any South Indian meal. Particularly popular is a green chutney made of mint and coriander and a shredded coconut chutney that perfectly balances sweet and spicy with the addition of red chilies.