For a street food aficionado, Chennai comes loaded with a variety of surprises. From Parottas to Curry Dosa, the streets of Chennai swarms with food stalls to cater to everyone's taste. A majority of them comes at a very cheap prices and can be consumed conveniently on the go. Each year millions of people visit Chennai to explore its monuments, temples, new business opportunities and food. Being an important tourist and commercial destination, the capital city is crowded throughout the year; thus, it'd be better if you check the Delhi, Mumbai or Pune to Chennai flights rate before planning your tour. Coming back to the street food, Chennai is home to some of the most lip-smacking varieties. Let's take a look at some of the top picks, that you should definitely try.
Idli Sambhar: One of the most popular dishes in not just Chennai but all over the country, Idli Sambhar is your idle tummy friendly food. The Idli is made from a batter of fermented rice and lentils, which is cooked over steam. Sambhar is the spicy, traditional side dish, which is made using different vegetables. This street food is considered to be a healthy snack and consumed mostly on breakfasts.
Parotta: The southern kin to northern Parantha, this is another famous street food which could be found in every other corner of Chennai. Comes mostly in a stuffed form, Parotta is made with mixed or refined flour and stuffed with minced meat or vegetables and served with salna (spicy sauce) and onion raita. You can also mix Parottas with scrambled eggs and chillis to make it a typical Chennaiyin snack.
Idiyappam: This filling snack might look like a pressed ball of noodles. Made from rice flour, this delicacy can be found anywhere in Chennai. Mixed with coconut chutney and spicy curries, it makes for a mouthwatering street food and heartily enjoyed by students and working professionals, as they can simply gulp it down in a single bite.
Dosa: It's quite impossible to not to see a Dosa stall on the roads in Chennai. These savoury, paper thin pancakes are made from rice flour and served with sambhar and various chutneys. There are hundred of varieties of Dosa to be found in Chennai and makes for a fantastic quick meal.
Atho: If you're tired of trying the usual, Atho will come as a surprise to you. At first glance it seems like a normal platter of noodles but having a fork full brings the typical flavours of Chennai.
Apart from going on a sightseeing tour, trying the street food is one of the best things to do in Chennai.
Martin Wynn
