From Street Food to Traditional Platters: Food Delivery Services in India Hauling Diversity to Your Doorstep
India possesses a vibrant culinary landscape, where each state or city has its unique flavors and cooking styles. From the phuchkas of Kolkata to the biryanis of Hyderabad or even the dosas of South India, it will hook you to its own story of inception, and make you savor the wide range of aromas. On the other hand, celebrated online food delivery platforms like Swiggy are bridging the gap between local gastronomy i.e. street food and the gourmets. This is helping small businesses (like street vendors) sustain themselves in the competitive market. Over the last couple of years, we saw how the government is also promoting the same. For instance, in 2020, The Union Housing and Urban Affairs joined hands with Swiggy to make famous street platters like chaats and pani puris accessible to the public, online. The initiative was launched in five of the best cities, spread across the country- Delhi, Ahmedabad, Indore, Varanasi, Chennai, and Indore. And with time it has started rolling out in other cities as well.
So, if you are someone fidgeting with the keywords- online food delivery near me, in the Google search bar, then consider that there are several thousands of gourmets just like you, doing the same, at the very moment you are doing that. There are several factors which led to it. The first one is the ease of access to local as well as traditional cuisines as described earlier. The next one is the ease of payment options, which is powered by UPI. A few clicks or a quick scan, and your order is sorted. But all of these conveniences are made possible by innovators like Swiggy that integrated AI with their platform. All you have to do is visit their platform and select a dish of your choice (that you are craving) and smart suggestions will take care of the rest of your plan.
But before you finalize your next online order, here are some quick local platters that you can think of-
Bhelpuri:
- It definitely has to be on this list, as it happens to be one of the favorite snacks of the citizens. It comes with a crunchy texture and some tangy flavors that best bring out the essence of Indian street foods. Its recipe involves tomatoes, puffed rice, chopped coconuts, coriander leaves, and tamarind sauce, with bhujiya trickled on top. Though it is mostly a native of the Mumbai region, the North and the Eastern regions also practice their own version.
● Panipuri
Talking of street food and missing the topic of Panipuri? It’s not done! An interesting fact is that- it is known by many names in various regions of India. But the texture remains the same, let alone the taste of it. The hard yet crushable outer texture when savoured with a spicy aloo filling, will offer your taste buds some memorable moments of spice bursts. To elaborate a bit on its recipe, it is basically a deep-fried bread filled with spiced chickpeas and mashed potatoes, dipped in tamarind water along with chaat masala. Once you start gulping down these small spice bombs, there’s no going back!
● Vada Pav:
If you are seeking a street-side snack, yet a comfort food, then this is the ultimate one. Also known by the name of “Bombay Burger”, Vada Pav is crafted by placing a deep-fried potato dumpling inside sliced bread. To give it a more vibrant flavor, it is normally served with a plethora of chutneys and boiled green chili. You can say that this is the most iconic street food of the city of Mumbai that best represents the median economic landscape of the city.
● Dahi Puri
With a significant relevance to panipuri, this palatable Indian street food is served with puri shells with a filling of spiced mashed potatoes, Bhujiyas, and tamarind chutney, with a supplemental layer of spiced or plain Dahi on top. A tantalizing treat of tangy, spicy, and sweet flavors together, it is an appropriate item that can make anyone go gaga over its piquancy.
● Samosas
A very common street delicacy that is known to the Indian aromatic streets, samosas are the ultimate snack that is more than just a spicy treat. It is an emotional mood catalyst that blends into any sort of occasion. Whether it’s a quick late evening snack or just a get-together with friends from around your community, this fried pastry snack with spiced potato filling will take your taste buds away from you.
● Kachori
Known to be ruling on the Indian streets for centuries, this deep-fried pastry that is crafted with jaggery, ghee, and flour hooks up the locals of the major cities. Its spicy moong dal filling will offer a catchy tanginess, which will stick to your tongue for days and make you come back for more.
● Pav Bhaji
A bite of this item brings two best elements together- the soft bread smudged with butter and the seasoned vegetable curry. A celebrated lunchtime dish, it’s served from hand carts in the cities to renowned fine dining restaurants that you can think of, at the moment. Just the irresistible aroma of the curry prepared with chickpeas, tomatoes, bell peppers, and potatoes is enough to etch its name in the memory of your taste buds.
● Aloo Tikki Chaat
Aloo Tikkis are always that particular iconic street food, that represents the nation’s inclination towards a flavourful local gastronomy. But when it comes to the chaat supplementary, its taste soars to the highest level. The intriguing recipe comprises a classic potato cutlet treated with coriander and tamarind sauce. To give it a crunchy texture, Bhujiya is sprinkled on top, along with an optimum amount of dahi.
● Papdi Chaat
Another must-have item on this list and already on the ones with gourmets. It involves crisp fried wafers that goes to tantalize your tongue through the mixture of chickpeas, tamarind chutney, tomatoes, dahi, and a plethora of spices. Its subtle combination of sweetness and tanginess along with the crunchy texture makes it a catchy go-to snack of Indians.
Apart from these vibrant street foods, you can always go with the Indian traditional dishes like- Panner Butter Masala, Masala Dosa, or Palak Paneer if you are a vegetarian, or you can order Butter Chicken, Mutton Kofte, Rogan Josh, or Goan Fish Head Curry, if you prefer non-veg platters. There are other delightful traditional Indian platters as well, but all those are easy to discover as compared to the street items. Hence this blog covered the maximum recipes of those delicacies.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is evident that platforms like Swiggy are making it easier to relish the rich, yet hidden Indian cuisines straight to your door. Starting from street foods like Papri Chaat to popular traditional dishes like Paneer Butter Masala, all are now available just a few taps away from your smartphone.
What is best is that people can now savor these platters within a pocket-friendly budget, rather sulk on the delivery charges. To make things more affordable, Swiggy tends to help the opportunistic gourmets by highlighting the best bank offers and coupons from time to time. This works both ways i.e. making small businesses sustainable while delivering lip-smacking plates to the ones who seek flavours. Secondly, the smart UI in both the website and app tends to provide detailed information regarding the items and the restaurants that are crafting the same. So, if you are a newbie in the gastronomy of India, then Swiggy should be your ultimate one-stop solution. Rest of the journey, you can navigate easily. After all plenty of platters in the sea, or say, in the country, isn’t it?