Disclaimer: Every south Indian dish is not served with sambar.
Every city, every place has its specialties. So does Chennai. Chennai has many south specific foods to offer. Some of which you wouldn't know unless you explore. You need to walk around the city, take in every ounce of the city through your eyes, nose, ears and mouth!!! But still if you are scared to experiment on your own then here are some of the street food that you MUST try out and you wont regret it.
1) Idli -vada
I don't think there would be any arguments from anywhere in the world for including "idli, vada, dosai and uttappam" as one of the best street foods in Chennai. Those fluffy white rice cakes dipped in hot aromatic sambar and a little coconut chutney mixed to it just makes you fall in love with food all over again. In the section of vadas, try out parippu vada (parippu-dal). The little crisp vada with hot filter kaapi in the evening sitting by the roadside will just shoo away all you tiredness with it awesome taste.
2) Bajji
Yes yes its like bhajiyaa. Just that Chennai has more varieties! You'll get molaga bhajji (chilly bhajiya), vazhakaaya bhajji(raw banana bhajji), shrimp bhajji for the non vegetarians and many more. Don't go and ask them whats inside it if you are not the experimenting types. Just eat it and savor the taste of the hot crispy bhajji romancing with your mouth and the sudden taste of the molaga and you'll just keep asking for more.
3) Sandwich
Well, you'll find McDonalds, Subways across Chennai but you'll find it almost everywhere. Go and try the street sandwich in Chennai. Enjoy the green chutney absorbed between the two breads with many more things. Sandwiches near the Alsa mall are pretty famous. Try Balaji Sandwich Stall.
4) Porotta
The fluffy soft Indian Bread made of maida is another popular item you'd find in most street joints in Chennai. Some call it lachha paratha but parotas are slightly different from them in taste. Very slight but very slight is also huge when it comes to the matter of food. Try out kottu parotta (minced patotta) with a classic chicken curry or kadla curry(vegetarians) and feel awesome about yourself for having eaten an amazing dish.
5) Masala Kadalai
Imagine crunchy peanuts in your mouth and suddenly the tang of raw mango and then a little ball of salt on your tongue. This is masala kadalai, walk the street as you shop holding Masala Kadalai in your hand (yes! you look classy) and feel the surprises of tastes exploding in your mouth.
6) Iddiappam
These long strands look just like noodles, except, iddiappams are healthy as these are made of rice. Have it with curry and meditate on the soft iddiappam mixing with the curry in your mouth. Some may not like it as the Iddiappam is plain but watch out for the curry. The spicy curry with long tangled strands of rice will amaze you.
Remember, there is a story behind every shop, every food, every taste and just like your hometown this place has its own. The moment you leave your prejudices behind and look forward to the way the food came into existence you'd start enjoying it even more. Take in the mouth watering aroma of that sambar then treat your eyes with noodle like strands of iddiyamm locked in each other, listen to that sound when vada is just dipped in oil and open your mouth and grab it all and gulp it in!
Every city, every place has its specialties. So does Chennai. Chennai has many south specific foods to offer. Some of which you wouldn't know unless you explore. You need to walk around the city, take in every ounce of the city through your eyes, nose, ears and mouth!!! But still if you are scared to experiment on your own then here are some of the street food that you MUST try out and you wont regret it.
1) Idli -vada
I don't think there would be any arguments from anywhere in the world for including "idli, vada, dosai and uttappam" as one of the best street foods in Chennai. Those fluffy white rice cakes dipped in hot aromatic sambar and a little coconut chutney mixed to it just makes you fall in love with food all over again. In the section of vadas, try out parippu vada (parippu-dal). The little crisp vada with hot filter kaapi in the evening sitting by the roadside will just shoo away all you tiredness with it awesome taste.
2) Bajji
Yes yes its like bhajiyaa. Just that Chennai has more varieties! You'll get molaga bhajji (chilly bhajiya), vazhakaaya bhajji(raw banana bhajji), shrimp bhajji for the non vegetarians and many more. Don't go and ask them whats inside it if you are not the experimenting types. Just eat it and savor the taste of the hot crispy bhajji romancing with your mouth and the sudden taste of the molaga and you'll just keep asking for more.
3) Sandwich
Well, you'll find McDonalds, Subways across Chennai but you'll find it almost everywhere. Go and try the street sandwich in Chennai. Enjoy the green chutney absorbed between the two breads with many more things. Sandwiches near the Alsa mall are pretty famous. Try Balaji Sandwich Stall.
4) Porotta
The fluffy soft Indian Bread made of maida is another popular item you'd find in most street joints in Chennai. Some call it lachha paratha but parotas are slightly different from them in taste. Very slight but very slight is also huge when it comes to the matter of food. Try out kottu parotta (minced patotta) with a classic chicken curry or kadla curry(vegetarians) and feel awesome about yourself for having eaten an amazing dish.
5) Masala Kadalai
Imagine crunchy peanuts in your mouth and suddenly the tang of raw mango and then a little ball of salt on your tongue. This is masala kadalai, walk the street as you shop holding Masala Kadalai in your hand (yes! you look classy) and feel the surprises of tastes exploding in your mouth.
6) Iddiappam
These long strands look just like noodles, except, iddiappams are healthy as these are made of rice. Have it with curry and meditate on the soft iddiappam mixing with the curry in your mouth. Some may not like it as the Iddiappam is plain but watch out for the curry. The spicy curry with long tangled strands of rice will amaze you.
Remember, there is a story behind every shop, every food, every taste and just like your hometown this place has its own. The moment you leave your prejudices behind and look forward to the way the food came into existence you'd start enjoying it even more. Take in the mouth watering aroma of that sambar then treat your eyes with noodle like strands of iddiyamm locked in each other, listen to that sound when vada is just dipped in oil and open your mouth and grab it all and gulp it in!
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