Kolkata Street Food Guide: 5 Delicious Dishes You Must Try On Your First Visit To The City Of Joy

Kolkata Street Food: Kolkata, also known as the City of Joy, is loved for its variety of street food, apart from its rich culture and artistic heritage. For the first time, visitors of Kolkata, the aroma of freshly prepared delicacies through the lanes of the city, will carry you away to the old Bengali traditions and the infusion brought in by its cosmopolitan past. If you’re in Kolkata for the first time, apart from sightseeing the heritage buildings and Bhagbazar Ganga ghat, make sure to witness the gastronomic journey. Indulge in Kolkata's iconic street food and get an experience of the soul of the city, where history and taste blend perfectly.

Whether it is the paper-wrapped kathi rolls or the sugar-syrup dipped roshogolla, Kolkata's street food culture is a dynamic palette of spicy, tangy and sweet treats. These foods offer a unique blend of ingredients that promise a culinary adventure on every corner. Here are the five iconic street foods you must try if you’re visiting Kolkata for the first time.

Must-Try Street Foods In Kolkata For First-Timers

Phuchka And Churmur

One of the must-have Kolkata street foods is phuchka. You’ll find a phuchka stall in every neighbourhood. Phuchkas are hollow fried maida (flour) balls filled with spicy potato filling and dipped in tangy tamarind water laced with coriander and mint.

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Chop-Cutlets And Teley Bhajas

Bengalis love fried foods and every evening you’ll find a long queue in front of chop-cultets and teley-bhaja’s (fritters) shop. From cauliflower cubes, slices of potato or onions, capsicum, and eggplants, everything is coated with a batter of besan and deep-fried. The best combo is to have them with muri (puffed rice).

Kochuri With Alur Dom

Start your breakfast by digging into deep-fried golden kochuri or a radhaballabhi (fried flour discs with a filling of lentils) with alur dom (a spicy dry potato dish) and chholar dal (a lentil preparation). Complete the meal with some Bengali mishti like jilipi or pantua.

Kolkata Biryani (Image Credits: Instagram)

Kathi Rolls

If you’re in Kolkata, don’t miss out on Kathi rolls, the most popular street food in the city. Rolls are often enjoyed as an evening snack. Succulent kebabs of mutton or chicken are wrapped in a paratha, along with sliced onions, green chilli, ketchup and chilli sauce, making it a fulfilling and satisfying meal.

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Biryani

Kolkata’s food culture blends influences of various cultures, from the British and Mughal eras to regional cuisines. One of the most popular dishes in Kolkata is biryani. Kolkata biryani is known for its delicate flavours and the use of potatoes, sometimes boiled eggs, along with mutton or chicken pieces. It draws on Awadhi and Mughlai traditions. A perfect dinner option and is best paired with chaap.

Trying Kolkata's iconic street foods for the first time is about much more than tasting, but embracing the character and charm of the city. These street foods in Kolkata are full of flavours and stories. You’re planning to make a visit to the City of Joy, don’t miss out on Kolkata’s street food.