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From the smoky flavour of kathi rolls to the delicious crunch of phuchka, explore the irresistible street food of Kolkata.
Few things in the world are as rewarding as satiating your guilty pleasures with Kolkata's street food delights. The bustling capital of West Bengal is renowned for its cultural heritage, literary history, and delectable cuisine. But the real treat is not in the preparations of machher jhol (fish curry) or alu posto torkari (potatoes in poppy seeds curry). It is in the mouthwatering savoury delicacies sold on the streets of Kolkata. If you grow up in Kolkata, street food becomes an inseparable part of your life. I distinctly remember the first time I was allowed to try out a roadside food item; it was in 2008, during Durga Puja. The seven-year-old me was throwing a tantrum to have phuchka at a pandal, and much to my surprise, the elders obliged. They left me under the supervision of my older cousins, limiting my consumption to only two phuchkas, that too, without the water. In a couple of years, my allowance expanded to a small packet of ghotigorom after swimming classes. The old man sitting outside the pool building had magic in his hands. What he created with a mix of sev, peanuts, chopped onions, green chillies, and amra (hog plum) still gets my tastebuds tingling. Later in high school, permissions were not needed anymore. But without my parents around to pay for it, I had to save up my pocket money to enjoy street food once or twice a week. In retrospect, it may have been my first self-taught lesson in saving up for a future expense. Kolkata lives up to its reputation of being a treasure trove of street food gems, waiting to be discovered and relished. Let's take a look at the most famous roadside gastronomic experiences to be had here.
Kolkata's own invention, the kathi roll, was first made in 1932 in the famous Nizam Restaurant. Essentially, it is a paratha beaten with egg and rolled around pieces of chicken, mutton, or fish kebabs that are grilled to perfection. It also has onion, coriander leaves, chillies, some ketchup and a dash of lemon squeezed in it. The roll is then served wrapped up in rice paper or butter paper. It is said that it was created to make it easier for British officials to eat their office lunch without getting their hands stained. To date, it is a popular in-between-meals snack at the Esplanade-Park Street central business area. Kathi roll gets its name from the skewers used to make the kebabs. These skewers look like sticks, which is what kathi means in Bengali. Kolkata is dotted with roll shops with live counters. Buyers can stand near the counter and watch the chef prepare multiple rolls at a time on a huge tawa. It is a fascinating sight to witness as dozens of kathi rolls are prepared per minute while the orders pour in. My fondest memory of having a kathi roll is when I celebrated my admission into my dream college. My parents and I were walking to the metro station from St. Xavier's College on Park Street when my dad decided to stop at Hot Kati Roll—a vintage snack bar on the main road—where he ordered a roll for each of us.
Bengalis' love affair with their version of panipuri or golgappa is an age-old tale in the culinary world. They are all inherently the same—round puris stuffed with a filling and then dipped in spicy water. Phuchka has slightly different ingredients. For example, the use of Bengal gram along with mashed potatoes in the filling instead of white chickpeas, and brown tamarind chutney water instead of green mint. Phuchka vendors in Kolkata have their designated spots around the city. This is where they show up every afternoon with their stockpile of puris and other ingredients. Soon, the stall gets flocked by people of all ages. It is particularly favoured by children returning home from school. Yours truly is guilty of that as well. People gather around the vendor while he prepares the phuchkas with his nimble hands and quick movements, till the bite-sized snacks are ready for a scrumptious explosion of flavour in the mouth.
Jhaal' means spicy in Bengali, while 'muri' is puffed rice. Jhaal muri is puffed rice mixed with chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves, and a variety of dry spices. It is often garnished with a slice of coconut for taste, which also doubles as a spoon. Roadside stalls that sell jhaal muri also specialise in other chaat items, such as bhel puri, sev puri, dahi chaat, papdi chaat, etc.
Other than the Bengali street food items listed above, there are many more that one can explore on the streets of Kolkata. There are roadside vendors that sell momos stacked in layered tin containers, noodles and fried rice counters, and even shawarma stalls. Chinatown, located in the Teretti Bazaar area in North Kolkata, is world-famous for its daily breakfast market. You will find numerous stalls selling cheap butter popcorn and pink candyfloss at fairs. Roasted peanuts or deep-fried chips are also easily spotted. The street food culture of Kolkata is not just about the food. The hustle and bustle of the streets, the aroma of spices wafting through the air and the banter between vendors and customers are all part of the experience that immerses you in the vibrant tapestry of the city.
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