Indians love to snack across the day- at least I know I do. While working, along with my cup of chai, while binge watching at night or simply when I’m bored. The answer to everything are yummy snacks. From crispy to baked snacks, spicy or sweet, we can gorge on everything that pleases our taste buds! And thankfully, Indian cuisine has no dearth of such snacks. Deep fried samosas to greasy pakodas, aloo bondas and more, we are blessed with the best. But did you know there are a plethora of hidden gems in regional Indian cuisines that go beyond these popular treats?
There are many small regions of Himachal Pradesh, Assam, South India and other parts of the country, that have a host of local treats that are irresistibly delicious. Here we’ve got five of such lesser-known snacks that you must try.
1. Sidu
One of the most loved delicacies form Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, Sidu is a kind of bread made from wheat flour. While it resembles a calzone, it doesn’t taste like it. Made with a mixture of wheat and yeast which is kneaded and allowed to rise for 4 to 5 hours, Sidu is eaten with ghee (clarified butter), dal or with green chutney made with mint and coriander.
2. Bhey
Another gem of a snack from Himachal Pradesh, which is also a popular snack in the state of Punjab, Bhey is a delectable recipe of lotus stem cooked with a host of aromatic spices along with ginger, garlic and onion. A hassle-free quick and easy recipe, Bhey is perfect when you are over the usual vegetarian snacks of paneer, aloo, mushrooms or soya.
3. Dhuska
A deep-fried delight from Jharkhand, Dhuska is a wholesome treat of rice and chana dal that are ground, made into a batter with green chillies and garlic and deep fried. A yummy version of Kachori from Jharkhand.
4. Locho
From the land of dhoklas and fafda, comes Locho. A street side snack popular in Surat, Locho is made from sev and gram flour. It derives its name from its loose consistency and is connected to khaman. It has an interesting story behind its origin. As per legend, it was created while making Khaman when a chef added more water to the khaman dhokla batter by mistake. The better turned runny due to which khaman also turned out a little softer and mushy than the regular one. ”Arre aa to LOCHO thai gayo” the chef exclaimed which meant it turned out wrong. He then served the dish along with toppings like green chutney, sev, onion, masala, and butter and the dish became a hit with the customers.
5. Gojjavalakki
A popular delicacy from Karnataka, Gojjavalakki is basically a spicier version of poha. It is named as gojju or huli avalakki because of the combination of spicy, tangy and sweet flavour of the breakfast item.
So, which one of these are you trying next?
