Must-have street foods in Kolkata during Durga Puja

Durga Puja celebrations have already started and while the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has put several restrictions on the celebrations, one can easily gorge on the delicious street food that the city of Kolkata has to offer. Unlike the usual festivals in India, where people keep fasts and have to eat vegetarian food, Durga Puja does not restrict the diet to vegetarian food, nor does it impose any rules regarding keeping fasts. Non-vegetarian is rather celebrated during puja days. Let’s take a look at some of the must have street food in Kolkata during the Durga Puja:

Rolls

One cannot talk about Kolkata street food and not mention rolls. Be it egg, chicken, mutton, kathi or even paneer, Kolkata rolls are the best in the world. A perfect roll comprises a crispy lachha paratha fried with an egg and filled with some bite-sized chicken kebabs, which have been marinated for hours and grilled to perfection, along with some sliced onions, a dash of ketchup, some chopped green chilies and a little squeeze of lime. Altogether, that is a heavenly combination. While roaming about in the streets, the smell of the paratha being fried with eggs can even penetrate the thickest of masks. 

Chowmein

Thanks to a sizable Hakka community in Kolkata, the city has got the best of Chinese foods and chowmein is one of them. Not technically a fusion dish, seeing large quantities of noodles being mixed eggs, chicken, vegetables and sauces on a big pan makes you forget about the cuisine. A plate of chowmein is a must when you take a break from pandal hopping and want something lip-smacking to fill you up till your next meal. 

Phuchka

Yes, it is named differently in devery Indian city, but the phuchkas in Kolkata taste better than any other variants. It is probably because of the perfect combination of those dry-roasted spices in the potato filling as well as the spicy water. During Durga Puja, almost every corner of every street in the city has a phuchka stall serving those spice bombs. And asking for a free piece at the end is a must.

Biriyani

Yes, you might think since when did biriyani become a street food. But when walking around the city during the festival and seeing so many people gorging on plates filled with piping-hot biriyani, your opinions will change. During Durga Puja, it is best to avoid the usual well-known biriyani chains and opt for those shops out in the streets with big handis out in the open, constantly getting heated. A plate full of fragrant rice, a big piece of juicy chicken or mutton, a boiled egg and a big piece of potato that has soaked in all the goodness from the rice, what else can a food-lover ask for. 

Sweets

With all the varieties that Kolkata has to offer, naming just one sweet in the list will not do justice to what the city is famous for. Be it sandesh, cham cham, rosogolla, mishti doi or the special sweets that are made during Durga puja such as Mihi dada and sita bhog, the list never ends for someone who has a sweet tooth.