Born in a Punjabi family with roots from Amritsar (Punjab) is a deadly combination of a great “Foodie”.
Being a street food frenetic and living away from native, the festivals are always the opportunity to binge into the “Belly of Amritsar”, so I was off to Amritsar, India — to eat. As I stepped into the street of Amritsar, I could feel the same essence of “Punjabi Food” which is hard to ignore, especially when it always tries to offer everything in Plus Size with enough places to explore. Here are the best street food dishes from Amritsar. We also tell you the best places to have those mouth drooling dishes in Amritsar. So, don’t drool yourself more!
Best Amritsar street Food Dishes – What to eat & Where
Breakfast Binge – Amritsari Kulcha & Lassi
Starting my breakfast with the amazing duo of “Amritsari Kulcha and Lassi”, I arrived at Kulcha Land in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar who have been serving Kulchas from four generations, the super crispy Kulchas with savoury filling of onion, potato, green chillies, topped with dollop of butter direct from Tandoor (open coal- fired oven) is served with curd. Ah, now that’s the perfect Amritsar street food dish to have for breakfast!
Where: Kulcha Land, District Shopping Centre, Ranjit Avenue
Cost: Rs45-70 per kulcha
Craving for a tall glass of Lassi, I head towards the Amritsar’s most famous “Ahuja Sweets & Milk Bhandar”, not counting on calories, I gulped a full frothy glass of Lassi topped with a big chunk of ‘Malai'(cream). They not only serve Lassi but best Phirnis in Amritsar. One can also try the amazing variety of Indian Sweets which will not disappoint anyone.
Where: Ahuja Milk Bhandar, BK Dutt Gate, Dhab Khatikan, Katra Ahluwalia
Cost: Rs40-60
Amritsar may have many dishes to boast of but there are usually just one or two at each place that are truly exceptional. The only way to settle your tummy is to press it all down with something sweet so after quickly finishing off the meal, another stop for me was to have my all-time favourite Gur ka Halwa (Jaggery Pudding).
Where- Sheer Singh Puri Wala, Dhab Khatikan
Cost- Rs100/Kg
Array of Afternoon – 100% Pure Ghee Veg Meal
Now that I was done with breakfast, let’s move on to Lunch. With the gastronomy of butter and ghee brings me to the iconic “Kesar ka Dhaba” established in 1916 in a narrow lane of the old city of Amritsar and a kitchen that remains exactly as it was when it opened. Serving the same ‘pure veg meal’ in ‘100% pure ghee’. The generous amount of ghee makes the place legendary and unique at the same time. No doubt, why people stand in queues to try the best Amritsari street food dishes for afternoon – maa ki dal (Rs 45) which is slow cooked for twelve hours before being served. Other dishes that I tried were malai kofta (Rs 150), sarson ka saag (Rs 50) phirni (Rs 20) and lachha parantha (Indian bread).
Where: Kesar da Dhaba, Chowk Passian, Near Telephone Exchange.
Cost: Rs200
Exciting Evening – Amritsari Chaats & Tikkis
Evenings in the street of Amritsar has a unique vibe, with the purity of ghee, butter, lassi, kulchas, For North Indians, aloo tikki and dahi bhalla are staple street food but every region has its own version and the Amritsari version should not be missed! “Brijwasi Chaat Bhandar”, 57 years old, famous in Amritsar serves something very interesting called “Bun Tikki” which is a Hot- Dog, Bread is deep fried on big pan and filled with the Aloo Tikki served with sweet and sour chutney, trust me the combination is drooling. Another dish that I tried was Chaat Papadi but I was too full to try their other variety like Special Dahi Vada, Golgappe, Bhelpuri.
Where: Brijwasi Chaat Bhandar” Crystal Chowk, Cooper Road, INA Colony,
Cost: Rs100-200
Dinner Dairies – Amritsari Fish
After a small digestive break. I was ready for my last meal of the day in Amritsar. One of the better place to try out the Amritsari fish is none other than “Makhan Fish”. Fish was perfectly fried with crispy exterior and moist interior. Such prominent flavours, surely makes it the talk of the town.
Where: Makhan Fish and Chicken Corner, 21A, Majitha Road, Amritsar, Sehaj Avenue
Cost: Rs350-450
My Last stop was my only regret on going to this place was that I was too full by the time I reached. But I didn’t want to leave Amritsar without a check on this one. And the star over here was the roasted chicken; by far the best non-veg I had on the trip. The drooling part about the chicken was that it was moist from inside and another positive to this place is the quick service.
Where: Beera Chicken, Majitha Rd, Sehaj Avenue
Cost: Rs340
For finishing off at a sweet note to the perfect Amritsari feast at my ancestral home, again headed over to “Ahuja Sweets” for my childhood delight “Phirni” (Rs25). It had the same old taste and a silver edible covering that refused to check on my calories.
If you are on a food marathon, you must not forget to visit, chokhi dhani in Jaipur, Rajasthan and try the royal Rajasthani Thali – the flavors of Rajasthan all in one plate. Head south of Punjab, Rajasthan to the western India – Gujarat and savour the breakfast dishes from Gujarat.