India is renowned for its mouthwatering cuisine and packed streets. Moving through these maze-like streets and chaotic highways while avoiding eating any of the cuisines seems like a waste of life. Here we are talking about the indulgent Delights: Top 10 Junk Foods in India. India’s colorful markets and busy streets are meeting places for diverse cultures and cuisines. Avoiding these foods would be akin to betraying your taste buds given the variety of cuisines and tastes that exist. Each region will come up with new food which gives you a different taste which you have not tried before and so avoiding food is impossible. While consuming junk regularly is harmful to health, having it once a week is acceptable as you may not miss out on something delicious.
Let us now begin the journey of taking these streets and enjoying the top 10 junk foods that have captured the taste buds of millions of people all over the country with unique significance.
Here we are talking about the Top 10 Junk Foods in India:
Samosa
Samosa is one of the most loved snacks in India. Due to its taste and availability, it has become the go-to snack for every occasion.
- Mix flour, salt, and oil, and add water to form a smooth dough. Finally, let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Make Filling: Sauté onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Add boiled potatoes, peas, and spices.
- Assemble and Shape: Roll dough into circles and cut in half, creating semi-circles. Fold into a cone, fill with mixture, and seal.
- Deep-Fry: Heat oil, and fry until golden brown.
- Serve: Enjoy with mint chutney or tamarind sauce.
Vada Pav
Vada pav is always one of the local favorites. When served with chutney it gives one of the tremendous feelings in the world.
- Make Potato Filling: Boil and mash potatoes, and sauté with spices.
- Prepare Gram Flour Batter: Mix gram flour, water, turmeric, and salt.
- Shape and Fry Vadas: Coat potato mix in batter, and deep-fry until golden.
- Create Chutneys: Blend mint, coriander, and chilies for green chutney. And blend garlic, chilies, and peanuts for garlic chutney.
- Assemble Vada Pav: Spread chutneys on the pav, and place vada in between.
- Serve Hot: Enjoy the spicy delight of Vada Pav!
Pani Puri
Pani Puri is one of the best street foods which offers a taste of sweet, spicy, and tangy experience.
- Prepare Pani: Mix mint, coriander, green chilies, tamarind, and spices. And blend into a flavorful pani (spicy water).
- Make Filling: Mix boiled potatoes, chickpeas, and spices.
- Assemble: Puncture puris, and fill with the mixture. Pour spicy pani, and enjoy the burst of flavours!
Bhel Puri
Bhel puri is a popular snack in India with vegetables and when served with chutney it makes it even tastier.
- Ingredients: Combine puffed rice, sev, chopped veggies, and spices.
- Drizzle with tamarind and mint chutneys.
- Mix well and serve it.
Chaat
Chaat is a category of street snacks that includes various savory, spicy, and tangy treats.
- Ingredients: Collect papri (crisp dough), boiled potatoes, chickpeas, and spices.
- Prepare Sweet Yoghurt: Mix yogurt with sugar and spices for a sweet touch.
- Assemble: Arrange papri, potatoes, and chickpeas on a plate. And drizzle with sweet yogurt, mint chutney, and tamarind sauce.
- Garnish: Sprinkle with chaat masala and sev.
- Serve Fresh
Paneer Tikka
Paneer Tikka is the best option for people who are addicted to spicy food, which makes it a mouth-watering delight.
- Coat paneer cubes with a mixture of yogurt and spices and add ginger-garlic paste.
- Skewer and Grill: Thread marinated paneer onto skewers. Grill until golden and charred, turning occasionally.
- Serve Hot: Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh coriander. And enjoy the smoky goodness of Paneer Tikka!
Chole Bhature
A North Indian favorite, chole bhature features spicy chickpeas (chole) served with deep-fried bread (bhature).
- Preparation: Cook chickpeas with onions, tomatoes, and spices.
- Combine flour, yogurt, and a pinch of baking soda. Knead into a soft dough and let it rest.
- 3Roll and Fry Bhature: Roll portions of the dough into circles. And deep-fry until puffed and golden brown.
- Serve Hot: Plate the chole and bhature together.
Jalebi
After exploring all the spicy Indian food, Jalebi will be a soothing sweet realm.
- Prepare Batter: Mix flour and yogurt for a thick batter.
- Fry Jalebis: Pipe batter into hot oil in circular shapes. Fry until golden and crispy.
- Soak in Sugar Syrup: Dip fried jalebis in warm saffron-infused sugar syrup.
- Serve Warm: Enjoy the sweet and syrupy goodness of Jalebis!
Samosa Chaat
Combining the best of both worlds, samosa chaat transforms the traditional samosa into a delectable chaat dish.
- Prepare Samosas: Use potato-filled samosas.
- Crush and Top: Crush samosas and place on a plate. Pour yogurt, mint chutney, and tamarind sauce.
- Sprinkle Toppings: Add chopped onions, tomatoes, and sev.
- Garnish: Finish with fresh coriander and chaat masala.
- Serve Promptly: Enjoy the quick and tasty Samosa Chaat!
Maggi
Though Maggi is not an Indian food, it has a huge demand among Indians. It is unavoidable due to its ready availability and easy method of making it.
- Boil water in a pan.
- Cook Maggi: Add Maggi noodles, masala, and veggies. Cook until noodles are soft.
- Serve Hot: Garnish with cilantro and enjoy a quick Maggi noodle delight!
FAQ
Is Maggi a junk food?
Maggi is an instant noodle and junk food. Consuming it regularly will harm your health. Add vegetables and make sure you have a balanced diet.
Is Pani Puri junk food?
Yes, it is junk food and enjoyed by many.
Can I eat junk food every day?
Eating junk regularly will be very harmful to health.
Is tea a junk food?
Tea is far better than other junk food. If consumed in a limited manner, it is healthy.
How much junk food is ok?
Eating junk food more than 10% regularly is considered harmful.
Can I eat junk food once a week?
Consuming junk food once a week is not harmful as you may have already included some healthy food in your diet.
Conclusion
These junks are not just mere treats but emotions with different cultural significance. They are tradition, joy, and creativity. In all the corners of the streets, you will not only see the crowd but also the happy faces enjoying the different foods, regardless of age. And this happiness makes your food the best in the world.
It is essential to not only just eat these foods but also appreciate the significance of the food that gives you delight. These are more than a temptation, it is a symbol of celebration and gathering which creates a special bond and encourages unity.
