Street Food And India

Diversity is quite an interesting word. It makes things enjoyable, unique and special. In fact, India is one country which is known for its diverse cultures, languages, persona, and almost every state has an individual fabric. That is what makes it the most amazing country in the world. The diversity applies to the evolution of food as well! Known extensively for the street food culture, you can encounter the most versatile street food items throughout the country. Street Food is almost an emotion in India, for the passion and love involved in it! It actually defines the cultural hues of the country and makes it even more adorable.

Globalization And The Indian Street Food Scene

With the advent of globalization, many good and bad outcomes came into the country. While the good outcome is that much of the population got access to international brands, the biggest setback is the sidelining of the local brilliance and artistic street food love.

If you were a person who grew up or studied in college during the 80s-90s in India, the meaning of an evening snack or a hangout spot was quite different from what it is now. There were no KFC, McDonald, and Starbucks was an unimaginable dream. Yet, the local food joints offered such a variety of unique snacks, which were not just affordable, but also made of local produce. Every 90s person surely would miss the cream rolls, curry puffs and the local sponge cakes which are slowly taking the back seat these days. Are these international food outlets destroying the local food culture, especially in urban areas?

90’s Food Nostalgia

For all those kids who grew up in the 90s, the local food items were a hunger saviour with amazing quality, innovation and available at a budget-friendly price. Something imported was considered exotic and utterly valuable because of the limited availability of it. We at Voxspace aim to take a detour to those forgotten snacks which are still lurking around but overshadowed by the more “uniform” and “tailor-made” junk food which today’s youngsters are relishing!If you are bored with the routine snacks and foods which are way too sophisticated for our land, here are the right options which can be explored and are quite delicious as well. Here we bring about some of those dishes which were a trademark for the twin cities right from the 90s.

Veg/Egg/Chicken Puff

Veg puff is entirely an Indian bakery dish, which was a favourite snack for every 90’s kid.  It was the pre-burger/pizza era, which had puffs rule the roost. Every birthday party had to have a puff as a main snack – or witness the wrath of the kids! Instead of trying a fancy bakery which overprices this treasured dish, go to those old lane bakeries like Johns Bakery in Abids, King and Cardinal in Himayatnagar or the old school favourite Universal Bakers in Secunderabad for a relishing bite of these puffs!

Cream Roll

A very interesting dish, designed in a conical shape, with the wholesome filling of vanilla cream is topped with a cute little cherry! Every school student of the 90’s would relish this dish as it is hunger confronting, and also brings a great dash of dessert flavour to the palate. The combination of vanilla cream with crispily fried maida is a sumptuous offering! Cream roll is a mandatory serving in almost every local bakery of twin cities.

Creamy Sponge Cakes

While we encounter complicated names of pastries, cakes, mousses and gelatos these days, things were quite simple and straightforward back in the day. The sponge cake was typically made in an Indian fusion style with simpler flavours like vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Fortunately, we still get these in every Bangalore Iyengar bakery throughout the city!

Dilkush

This sweet delicacy has a Nizam as well as Iranian influence over it! A regular dish in all local cafes of the twin cities, ‘Dilkush’ literally does what it means- making the heart happy! Priced at an average of  Rs.20/- Dilkush is quite an enjoyable dish which can be had as an evening snack!

Onion Samosa (Mini)

In addition to the immensely popular Aloo (potato) samosa – a fried dish with thick outer layer and potato filling inside, onion samosa is another delightful add-on to the samosa family. With comparatively thinner outer maida covering, this samosa is a feast for the taste buds. Don’t miss these yummies at an affordable price in either Garden Restaurant, Secunderabad or the famous Café Rio as well! And yes, these samosas go effortlessly with your evening tea and is relishing to the palate.

Mirchi Bajji

Though there are various origins for this classy street food, Mirchi Bajji of the twin cities deserves a special mention. The filling of tamarind in the mirchi controls the spiciness of the dish. It is served with a lip-smacking groundnut or tomato chutney. Every street of the twin cities has the aroma of Mirchi Bajji as the evening sets by! Don’t forget to ask for the sumptuous masala powder topping, which is so typical and special only in our twin cities!

Bread Rolls and Cutlets

Bread rolls are, of course, a bakery dish. But still, the making is quite Indian and has a Hyderabadi style to it. The patty is tossed with spices and added with tomato sauce, onions and lot of cheese (to everyone’s delight)! These come at a minimal cost and are served with the local potato chips! Interestingly, every bakery has a unique way of making these rolls and we recommend Universal Bakers (Himayatnagar, Secunderabad) or Vacs (Thirumalagiri, Jubilee Hills) for a sumptuous feast. Cutlet, on the other hand, is such a staple dish that it has totally become a local evening snack for all those who love eating light.

Muri Mixture Bandi

Literally, outside every park or in the streets of Tank Bund there are a series of ‘muri mixture walas’, who serve the most delicious mixture at a minimal price (a lavish serving for Rs.10/-). This national dish has many varieties, ranging from Jhal Muri of Bengal, Bhel Puri of Mumbai and Maramarala Masala of Coastal Andhra. But Hyderabad serves its own version of the mixture. The fried muri are mixed with onions, channa, coriander, groundnuts, masala powder and artfully topped with a dash of lemon juice!

Aloo Toast

This on-the-go snack has quite a history from Northern India, but Hyderabad adopted it as her own. The snack is a fusion of dried bread topped with a luxurious aloo filling which is roasted and topped with spices. Try out any chat bhandar (we recommend Mayur in King Koti) for an amazing treat of Aloo Toast! It is a delightful alternative to the “sophisticated” Subway sandwich that has become famous with the current youth!

Mandi/Local Kababs

The twin cities have a rich background of Nizam and Arabic influence – it obviously influenced the food as well. For all those non-vegetarian lovers out there, Mandi is always available 24/7 in the old city! The local kababs namely Kalmi Kabab, Talwar Kabab (despite having the north Indian influence) taste unique in the twin cities with a special touch of masala!

Local Ice-Creams and Sundaes

Long back before the concept of ‘stoned’ ice cream started taking over the market, the twin cities had its own art of making ice cream. These ice creams were made with simpler ingredients of local produce and loaded with fresh fruits, dry fruits and lots of interesting sweet jam flavours. So before you think of grabbing the contemporary ‘stoned’ ice-cream, try out the ice cream at a local parlour (we strongly recommend Softy Den– Abids, or Pizza Den in Secunderabad) and channel your taste buds.

There are many other options in the twin cities which are locally made, and also quite enjoyable. Most importantly, they are pocket-friendly, compared to the overpriced international brands which serve monotonous junk food. Next time when you head out for an evening snack, remember these options and we are sure you wouldn’t regret it! Food is an important part of a rich legacy and there is a necessity to pass it on to the generations to come! No matter how many influences arrive, the local flavour is like home which is safe, secure and also our own!! Relish it, embrace it and rejoice the local delicacies!