India is a diverse yet beautiful blend of culture, food, and tradition. We have seen people going crazy over Indian food. Every 100 km you can find a completely different and unique cuisine.
When we think of Indian food we imagine Mughlai, dosa, idli, chole bhature, thali, Gol Gappa, mithai, lassi, pav bhaji, jalebi, and the list is endless. Is saliva dropping already??
Well, what if we tell you that beyond these usual tasty and scrumptious treats, India has some exotic food and snacks that are rare and loved by the locals and will ignite your appetite right away!
Misa Mach Poora, Mizoram
North East or the "Seven Sisters of India", is India's undiscovered food paradise with the most exotic dishes and flavors. One such palatable dish is Misa Mach Poora coming from the beautiful state of Mizoram. Misa Mach Poora is an appetizing and mouth-watering dish of grilled prawns made by roasting prawns on banana leaves that are placed of burning hot charcoal. The prawns are marinated in spices and herbs making them an irresistible treat. Served with steamed rice and tossed vegetables.
Bhutte Ka Kees, Madhya Pradesh
The famous street food of Indore Madhya Pradesh, Bhutte Ka Kees is a quick and easy recipe that is super exclusive and unique to the place. A wholesome snack made with grated corn paste flavored with spices and garnished with lemon, chili, ginger, and coconut. It is best to have from a street chat vendor served fresh and hot. The best place to get authentic Bhutte ka khees would be Indore Saraffa Bazaar (Jewelry Market).
Irachi Ishtu, Kerala
Authentic Kerela mutton/chicken stew, cooked slowly to achieve a thick soupy texture popularly known as Irachi Ishtu. It is a traditional morning breakfast dish in most of the homes in Kerela. Irachi Ishtu consists of chicken and coconut milk as the main ingredient, spiced with cardamom and cloves. This succulent dish is mainly served with steamed rice or appams.
Unidhiyu, Gujarat
Hallmark of Gujarati Cuisine derived from the word “undhu” (upside down), Unidhiyu is a traditional one-pot dish cooked in earthen pots. The cooking process gives it a raw and earthy taste. It is a slow cooking process in which the earthen pots are placed upside down in a cavity made inside the ground.
It is a winter dish as most of the vegetables added are seasonal and available only in winters. Some of the vegetables used in the dish are baby potatoes, flat beans, brinjal, ripe bananas, sweet potatoes, ivy gourds, purple yams, and pigeon peas.
Macher Dimer Bora, Bengal
Bengali's love for fish is well known and is a crucial ingredient in their dishes. Macher Dimer Bora, fish egg fritters is a monsoon crunchy snack. A savory delight that comes in two versions fritters or Fish Roe, and Jhol which is gravy also known as Macher Dimer Bora Diye Jhol.
Fish eggs are coated with a mixture of gram flour and spices, which are then deep-fried until golden brown. Served hot with a cup of coffee or tea and is mostly an evening snack.
Litti Chokha, Bihar
Litti Chokha is a traditional dish of Bihar and Jharkhand, now popular as street food in parts of Uttar Pradesh. The bread balls are made of wheat flour and stuffed with sattu.
Litti is served with a side dish, known as "baingan ka bharta" which is made of roasted eggplant, potatoes, chopped onions, chilies, and coriander. Litti is a wholesome and filling food as the batti or balls are dipped in pure desi ghee.
Chamani Qaliya, Kashmir
Kashmiri version of Shahi Paneer, Chamani Qaliya is a curry dish of cottage cheese exclusive and local to Kashmir. The dish is prepared in whole milk and is scented with cardamom and fennel seeds.
Chamani Qaliya is mainly a vegetarian dish cooked at the time of Mahashivratri observed by Kashmiri Pandits, which also marks the onset of the spring season. Easy to guess now how the dish got its name?
Kalmi Vada, Rajasthan
Rajasthani people have a special affinity toward deep-fried food which has lentils in some form. Kalmi Vada is no such exception! Deep-fried gram dal crispies spiced up with hari chutney, Kalmi Vada is a perfect tea-time premium snack for Rajasthani households.
A blend of Rajasthani spices with cabbage, gram flour, and chana dal. Kalmi Vada has a crispy golden brown texture owing to coarsely ground chana or gram dal.
Galaouti Kebabs, Uttar Pradesh
U.P is famous for its Mughlai and Awadhi food. The capital city of U.P houses some of the best non-vegetarian recipes and a taste that is exceptional. Coming from the "City of Nawabs" Lucknow is a scrumptious and tender soft minced mutton kebabs known as Galaouti Kebabs.
A Royal recipe now relished by tourists and locals with Rumali Roti and chutney. Galouti kebabs are so soft that they melt in the mouth and that is what makes them unique and exotic.
Singauri or Singodi, Uttarakhand (Garwal)
Kumaoni exotic sweet dish made of khoya wrapped in maalu leaf is a specialty of the Almora district of the Garwal region. Singodi has a sweet and refreshing flavor with the essence of cardamom and coconut.
These are cooled down and consumed as an after-meal dessert and beats the summer heat instantly. Creamy and fresh, Singauri is a must-have when visiting Almora in the beautiful state of Uttarakhand.
Explore the vast cultural diversity of India and you will find that food and exotic cuisines can best describe the heritage and tradition of a place. So, Next time when you visit any of these places don't forget to try out at least one of the most unique snacks in that place.
It might be impossible to get all these dishes in one place but you can definitely get premium authentic snacks from corners of India right in one box! Tempted already?
Happy Snacking!!