The city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu and one of the biggest cities in South India. Chennai is not only regarded as the safest city in India but is also known as ‘India’s health capital.’ When it comes to food, Chennai is one of the best cities in India that offers the combination of scrumptious dishes with a variety of spices and condiments. South Indian cuisine is famous throughout the nation. Idli and dosa in particular have become staple dishes for numerous street food vendors. However, it is interesting that the flourishing street food scene of Chennai is not occupied just by idli and dosa. Apart from regular South Indian street food, the streets of Chennai are filled with numerous outlets that offer delicious variety of North Indian, Gujarati, and Burmese dishes. So, here are some of the most famous street foods in Chennai.
A common belief among the people is that South Indian street food is filled with seafood in addition to idli and dosa. But, street foods in Chennai offer an eclectic mix of veg delicacies as well. Here is a list of the best veg street food in Chennai:
Bhajji is very famous in Chennai, no not the Indian off-spinner (well, he is famous too), but the street food. Bhajji is a South Indian version of pakora, but the taste varies enough for even North Indians to love it. Served with spicy and tangy chutney, a plate of freshly fried and spicy bhajji can be found quite easily in Chennai.
Approximate cost for two: INR 100
Muruku is a crunchy snack made from a combination of gram and rice flour, with salt and cumin seeds mixed into the dough, then deep fried. While Murukus might look like jalebi, they are salty to taste and are served with hot tea, and are very popular among the locals. However, murukus have evolved over time; several restaurants and street food places in Chennai have come up with mururku sandwich. The idea is to replace bread from the traditional sandwich with muruku pieces and add the rest of the ingredients like cucumber, tomato and onion slices between them.
Approximate cost for two: INR 150
A very popular and tasty street food in Chennai, Sundal is found at many beaches. However, the ones found at Marina Beach are considered to be the best. Sundal is made from boiled chickpeas mixed with onions, an assortment of spices, herbs, and topped off with shredded coconut. It is an exotic street food worthy of the exotic city.
Approximate cost for two: INR 30
Approximate cost for two: INR 50
Approximate cost for two: INR 300
Interesting Fact – A guy named Ismail sells puttu under the North Usman Flyover. If you are wondering why the guy is famous, well, he serves puttu made from black rice. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
Approximate cost for two: INR 150
Approximate cost for two: INR 200
Approximate cost for two: INR 100
Approximate cost for two: INR 200
Street food in Chennai is not limited to just veg dishes, but include a plethora of non veg dishes as well. And let us tell you, it is not just seafood; there is more to non veg street food in Chennai than fishes. Here is our list:
Approximate cost for two: INR 250
Approximate cost for two: INR 150
Approximate cost for two: INR 200