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Varanasi is not just a city that you visit just like that; it is a city that you experience with all your senses, particularly through its food. During the occasion of Mahashivratri, when the streets resonate with chants of Har Har Mahadev and devotees walk from one temple to another, the city’s culinary soul also comes alive alongside the spiritual power. For centuries, Varanasi has fed many pilgrims, scholars, and tourists with dishes that are easy, simple and deeply embedded in tradition. Here, the food is not prepared for luxury but for comfort, energy, and community.
Having a plate of hot kachori after morning temple hopping or a kulhad of thandai in a crowded lane is part of the journey itself. Eating in Varanasi is never just about preference, but it is about taking a break amid the chaos, sharing space with tourists alike, and knowing why the city takes pride in its street food that has the same taste for generations.
Kachori Sabzi
One breakfast that residents of Varanasi start their mornings with is crispy kachoris and flavourful spicy sabzi. Flaky, golden kachori stuffed with spiced dal mixture are served with spicy, slightly tangy potato-tomato sabzi that feels enjoyable in every bite. When you get low on energy from all the temple hopping since morning, this breakfast is ideal to fuel you again for another round of darshan and long ghat walks. Enjoy it fresh from the kadai, just like locals do, and you will know why it is so hyped. After this, have a piece of jalebi to round off the sumptuous breakfast.
Must Try At: Ram Bhandar, Thatheri Bazaar (near Vishwanath Gali)
Price For Two: Rs 120– Rs 150
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Tamatar Chaat
Don't go by the name "chaat" as this is not the usual one that you find everywhere. Banaras reinvented it with slow-cooked mashed tomatoes, desi ghee, a mix of bold spices, and garnishing of fresh coriander and namak pare. Tamatar chaat feels smoky, buttery, spicy, tangy and a bit sweet, all at once, which will leave you feeling amazed. After all the Mahashivratri frenzy, having this feels extremely comforting. What makes it more appealing is that it is not served in any usual bowl or cutlery, but in a deep earthen pot (kulhhad), making it more soulful and extremely local. One spoon of it and you will understand why tourists and locals alike keep coming back for another serving.
Must Try At: Deena Chaat Bhandar, Dashashwamedh Area
Price For Two: Rs 100-Rs 140
Malaiyyo
If you are visiting Varanasi during this time, missing malaiyyo is non-negotiable. Often called a cloud dessert because it is made from delicate foam produced from milk, dew, and most importantly, patience. Whipped overnight, having a light flavour of saffron and cardamom, it dissolves as soon as you put it on the tongue. It is less a dessert and more a palatable experience connected to the city’s climate and customs. Enjoying malaiyyo after temple visiting feels spiritual, fitting to the softness of the morning mist over the Ganga.
Must Try At: Chowk Area street vendors (early mornings only)
Price For Two: Rs 100– Rs 120
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Baati Chokha
If you are looking for something comforting after a long fast or temple round, baati chokha delivers the ultimate satisfaction. Wheat baatis, roasted over coal, are cracked open, soaked in ghee, and served with smoky mashed baigan bharta. The flavours are simple but deeply satisfying, exactly what you desire after a spiritually filled day. Sitting on a plastic chair near the ghats and enjoying this with your bare hands makes you feel connected to both the place and its culinary heritage.
Must Try At: Pappu Baati Chokha Stall, Assi Ghat Area
Price For Two: Rs 180- Rs 220
Thandai
Thandai in Varanasi during Mahashivratri is not just about refreshment, but it is so much part of the celebration. Prepared with milk, chopped nuts, fennel, rose, and warming spices, it is slow-ground on stone slabs to make a rich, smooth paste. The drink cools down the body while maintaining energy during the fasting period and festivities. Served in kulhads and enjoyed after darshan, it gives both nourishment and a break amid the city’s stifling atmosphere.
Must Try At: Blue Lassi / Traditional Thandai Shops, Godowlia
Price For Two: Rs 160– Rs 220
(Image credit: Freepik)
