20 Indian Snacks You Absolutely Must Try

You may have heard of aromatic platters of biryani, and perhaps you love dipping your puffy naan bread in butter chicken. But while India's cuisine is synonymous with bold, flavor-packed dishes and mouth-watering desserts, such as Indian mithai, one area of the culinary landscape of India remains under-explored: the bright, enticing world of Indian snacks.

Just stroll down the snack aisle in any Indian specialty store, and you'll be spoiled by choices: Should you stock up on flaky khari biscuits to dip in chai, or grab multiples of the highly munchable chivda? Real talk: You already know just one packet isn't going to cut it. There are also gluten-free snack options to be considered — jowar puffs, anyone? — and high-protein makhana for those looking to eat healthier. Regardless of what you choose, one thing is for certain: After sampling some of these must-try Indian snacks, you won't be able to go back to plain ol' potato chips again.

From the royal kitchens of the kings of Bikaner, a northwestern city in India, to everyday households, bhujia's origin story is not your everyday tale. When Maharaja Dungar Singh first treated his royal guests to these sprinkle-shaped munchies made from moth bean and chickpea flour in 1877, he had little idea of the craze it would spark. His guests devoured this new delicacy, which soon made its way into everyday kitchens. Today, ethnic bhujia is said to account for 15% of India's savory snack market.

What's so special about bhujia that it has become a common staple for street vendors and snack aisles across India? Imagine miniature noodle-like strands made from chickpea (or gram) flour, that are then deep-fried to the perfect golden hue before being dunked in palate-tickling spices. The end result is a snack that is deliciously crunchy, flavorful, and definitely not something you'll be chewing delicately one by one — instead, don't be surprised if you set aside the spoon to help yourself to handfuls at a time.

Hold your popcorn: There's a new popping snack in town. Makhana may just be catching global interest as a superfood, but in India, it has long served as a teatime staple for easy snacking. Harvested seeds from the water lily plant are sun-dried and dry-roasted in a clay pan until they pop, making for an immensely munchable option for late-night movie marathons.

Despite delivering a crunch that is similar to popcorn, makhana serves as a more significant source of protein, while having a lower calorie count. Since plain makhana has a neutral taste, it also makes for a willing springboard for a variety of seasoning ideas. You can opt for traditional Indian spices, such as turmeric and curry leaves, or give yours the dessert treatment with salted caramel and jaggery — everything is fair game.

The first thing you'll want to know about murukku is that this is not a snack for library hour — the multi-sensory experience of biting into these deep-fried coils comes from their signature crunch. Made from rice flour, the neutral taste of murukku requires minimal aid by way of seasoning, while the loud crunch of its deep-fried texture makes it a dangerously addictive snacking companion.

The word "murukku" translates to "twisted" in the south of India, where this snack is an everyday staple at teatime. True to its moniker, murukku is made by twisting malleable dough made from rice flour. Once shaped in the form of spirals, it is deep-fried and seasoned with cumin seeds. Murukku can be easily found in the snack aisle of Indian specialty stores and once opened, it can be stored in an airtight container for months at a time.

When the Zoroastrian population fled from Persia (present-day Iran) for refuge in the 8th century, they landed on Indian shores with a rich culinary legacy. As the community thrived in India, so did their choice of teatime snack: the khari biscuit.

The word 'khari' translates into 'salty' in India, and this should be your first tip-off of what to expect: a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth biscuit that dissolves into delicate, salty flakes at the slightest touch. Loved by beginners and experts alike, this two-ingredient wonder only requires several layers of puff pastry dough to be lined over each other with ghee. Once baked, the crumbly rectangles make for a light-as-air treat that serves as the perfect accompaniment to a leisurely cup of Indian chai in the evenings.

Just like cheese and crackers taste better together, some snacks are meant to be enjoyed as a duet — and fafda is one of them. These deep-fried strips of chickpea flour are best enjoyed with the sugary coils of jalebi, a popular North Indian dessert. The duet is believed to have come together when hungry festival-goers found themselves exhausted after a night of dancing garba, a traditional dance in the western state of Gujarat, and started gorging on plates of fafda and jalebi to recoup.

The tradition lives on and today, the crunch of the rectangular fafda serves as a worthy ally with the syrupy taste of jalebi for an enhanced flavor experience even beyond the festival circuit. When it's not being teamed with desserts, fafda can also be enjoyed in myriad other ways as a filling evening snack — try dipping yours in tamarind chutney for a tangy kick.

Science says that foods which rapidly vanish in your mouth trick your brain into thinking you're not as full as you are — which should explain why chivda (also spelled chiwda) disappears at an alarming velocity once served in a bowl. The immensely snackable nature of chivda, made from flattened rice, will make you not want to bother with formalities. You'll grab yours in handfuls right from the bag, so consider yourself warned.

With its roots in Western India, chivda is traditionally made by roasting poha, or flattened rice. Peanuts, cashews, curry, coconut, and even raisins get in on the action to make for a savory snack that you probably won't be able to stop eating. Those looking to maintain fidelity to their fitness goals can swap some of the poha for healthier additions, such as oats, to make the Indian version of a trail mix.

It is impossible for anyone to return from an excursion to the south of India without bags teeming with banana chips — and with good reason. Unlike the all-salt taste of potato chips, this counterpart accentuates the sweet, caramelized notes of banana to make for a nifty snacking option during picnics and road trips.

With its roots in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India, the appeal of slicing raw banana into chips has persevered over the course of centuries. Similar iterations have also popped up in the neighboring countries of Indonesia and Malaysia. Plantain chips, meanwhile, are a common sight in Latin American countries, such as Ecuador, where they are often drizzled with honey for dessert.

While savory treats hold pride of place in the Indian snack aisle, sweet treats are known to occasionally sneak in. Case in point: shakkarpara, made by frying miniature diamond-shaped dough balls. The addition of sugar and ghee, or Indian clarified butter, to the dough lends it a distinctive sweet taste and its moniker as well, which translates to "sugar pieces".

With roots in ancient Indian scriptures, it isn't an uncommon sight to find biscuit tins in Indian households stacked with shakkarpara. These are generally prepared in advance during religious festivals and can be stored for up to three weeks. If you are picking up yours from an Indian specialty store, you'll want to look for the distinctive golden color that indicates you're picking up a pack of perfectly fried nibbles.

If you find yourself unable to stop gorging on shakkarpara, you'll want to meet its saltier twin: namak para. With "namak para" translating to "salt pieces," its moniker does give it all away, and you can expect salty, diamond-shaped pieces of deep-fried dough.

The process of making namak para is straightforward: Dough made from wheat flour is seasoned with cumin or carom seeds and cut into diamond-shaped cubes, which are then dropped in a wok of boiling oil for crispy, deep-fried perfection. While the diamond shape is traditional to namak para, newer iterations involve experimenting with croissant-shaped rolls and cashew-style crescents. Once fried, you'll have a hard time fending off greedy hands from reaching for the tiny pieces right from the wire rack. But if you do manage to save yourself some, it is best enjoyed as an evening snack with a bracing cup of masala chai.

It would be easy to describe khakhra as the Indian version of crackers, but that would be a grave disservice to its nuanced, centuries-old history. Having emerged as a means for households in Western India to preserve leftover rotis, a round Indian flatbread, khakhra now pulls its own weight as a highly coveted snack.

After rolling out thin circles of dough made from wheat flour, khakhra is then roasted on a griddle until its texture reaches crisp, golden-hued status. While it can be enjoyed on its own as a delectable snack, it also works well with a wide array of chutneys and dips, such as hummus. Those feeling creative can crush theirs to be used as a textural element in chivda or combine it with coleslaw for an East-meets-West meal.

At first glance, a packet of bhakarwadi appears unassuming enough. After all, they're just spiral discs coated with spices. However, biting into one will reveal the wealth of flavors they pack within. Are they spicy? Are they sweet? Are they tangy? These are some questions we presume businessman Raghunathrao Chitale first asked himself when he sampled the snack in the western state of Gujarat in India. To make the snack suitable for residents of his home state of Maharashtra, he is believed to have dialed up the spices. 

When this fiery new iteration was added to the menu at his dairy store, sales touched meteoric levels, making bhakarwadi a household staple. After the dough is shaped into spiral pinwheels, a traditional plate of bhakarwadi is deep-fried and seasoned with dried mango powder, ginger powder, grated coconut, sesame seeds, and sometimes sugar for an irresistible salty-yet-sweet taste.

In the world of Indian snacks, the state of Gujarat is a gift that keeps on giving. Further cementing its monopoly over the snack aisle is gathiya, a salty treat made from chickpea flour. A common sight at weddings, festivals, and other celebratory occasions in Gujarati households, gathiya also makes for the perfect box of munchies to keep on your desk during prolonged work calls.

Where other Indian snacks shout with bold spices, gathiya likes to whisper. Shaped like skinny noodle-esque strands, gathiya usually imbues little by way of seasoning — just a touch of salt and carom seeds is enough to round out its minimalist flavor profile. Unlike murukku and other Indian snacks known for their loud-and-proud crunch, gathiya offers up a softer, easy-to-chew texture. Most store-bought variations can be stored in an airtight container for three months, but don't be surprised if you find yourself dusting off the last crumbs of this highly addictive snack within one evening.

If you find yourself addicted to gathiya (nobody would blame you), its skinnier cousin ought to assume priority on your foodie bucket list. Despite being a mainstay in every Indian kitchen, few are aware that the invention of sev hinged on a chance request by Mughal rulers in the late nineteenth century. 

When the emperors toured the central state of Madhya Pradesh, they found themselves craving wheat vermicelli. Since wheat wasn't available, the tribal communities got creative with gram flour as a substitution instead, creating the first iteration of sev. Today, the miniature noodle-like strands of sev make for a small but mighty addition to your snack roster. Consume it by the handful, or add as a delectable garnish to an array of Indian savory dishes, such as bhel puri.

On its own, "farsan" refers to an entire category of Indian snacks, with chivda, chakli, and sev being popular frontrunners. While these treats make for great standalone snacking options, it was only a matter of time before someone asked: Is it possible to have the best of all worlds? It is now common to find farsan mixtures assuming pride of place in Indian snack shops.

So, what can you expect when you tear open a packet of farsan mixture? A delightful assortment of mixed savories will greet your eager fingertips within. Expect sev, gathiya, chivda, and roasted peanuts. While these snacks individually have a long-standing history, families started dreaming up their own combinations that utilize all of their preferred farsan snacks with the addition of spices, dry fruits, and fried curry leaves. Today, it is impossible to wander through a Gujarati kitchen without stumbling into multiple tins of this ready-to-eat snack.

On the quest for a snack that can satisfy your sweet, tangy, and salty cravings all at once? All roads can only lead to patra, a traditional Indian dish prepared from rolled colocasia leaves lined with tamarind pulp and spices. These rolls are then steamed, sliced, and shallow-fried until golden-brown. After being tossed in a crackling hot tempering mixture that features mustard seeds, sesame seeds, and curry leaves, your patra is now ready to be enjoyed.

Often served fresh from the pan as an appetizer while guests wait for dinner to be served, dry versions of patra are also popular for on-the-go snacking. If you are picking up yours from an Indian specialty store, you can safely store it in an airtight container for up to 60 days.

Indian street food is a glittering landscape teeming with glistening colors and unconventional textures, and kachori is one of its crown jewels. With its crisp pastry exterior stuffed with spiced lentils and onions, it ticks off all the classic hallmarks that Indians look for in their choice of teatime snack: a kick of fiery spices and a satisfying crunch. 

While kachoris are best enjoyed from a streetside vendor, miniature fried versions of this popular food make for a tempting grab-and-go snack. As a bite-sized treat, mini kachoris deliver on the glory of its original — you can expect spherical puff pastry pockets stuffed with a flavor bomb of spicy lentils, cardamom, cinnamon, and fennel seeds for a tantalizing hint of sweetness.

The world of Indian flatbreads is a diverse arena. You can expect everything from flaky parathas for mopping up curries to theplas that work well as a standalone dish. Originally imagined as a travel snack, thepla owes its roots to the nomadic communities in the state of Gujarat. In the quest for a snack that would retain its taste during long journeys, the thepla took form — an easy way to clock in a satiating snack while on the road.

Unlike many other Indian flatbreads, thepla's distinctive taste comes from its key seasoning of dried fenugreek seeds. While it can have a slightly bitter taste, this fiber-rich snack is known to keep you fuller for longer. Made with a minimal amount of butter or ghee while roasting, it makes for a healthier alternative to other snacking options.

Any road trips within the state of Maharashtra will have you besieged with requests for Lonavala chikki when you return — with special emphasis placed on the word "Lonavala." While this sticky treat is produced widely across the country, the idyllic hill station of Lonavala is where it originally ascended to nationwide fame.

Often called the Indian version of peanut brittle, chikki differs from the latter in that it is produced from jaggery instead of refined sugar. The lore goes that when the British empire recruited workers to build a railway line connecting Lonavala to Mumbai (then called Bombay), the workers needed some quick foods to fuel up. A local sweet shop owner took it upon himself to produce a high-calorie snack from jaggery, peanuts, and ghee — and the rest is history.

The word 'boondi' refers to droplets in Hindi, which makes the essence of boondi easy to grasp: Little droplets of chickpea flour are deep-fried for an impossibly crunchy, can't-stop, won't-stop snack. Originally sweetened with syrup, boondi was the make-ahead snack of choice to last in the scorching desert temperature in the western state of Rajasthan. 

With time, boondi took on a savory identity with the addition of salt and spices such as red chili powder, chaat masala, and cumin powder. While it serves as a crunchy addition to cucumber dips like raita or pani puri, snacking purists know that there's only one way to enjoy boondi: With wolfish handfuls that only stop once you have chased down the last elusive crumbs from the bottom from the bag.

If makhana has become a permanent mainstay in your pantry, the next evolution comes with its jowar counterpart: savory puffs that can be seasoned with masalas and cheese for a nutritious snack when the unholy mid-evening cravings strike. Jowar, also known as sorghum millet, serves as one of the most prominent superfoods of India, delivering a treasure trove of carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats.

When raw jowar grains are exposed to high heat in a steel pot, the kernels explode like popcorn to create a crunchy base for a wide variety of spices and seasoning ideas. With millets serving as a gluten-free food, roasted jowar puffs make for a worthy candidate to add to your list of underrated gluten-free snacks to try, such as homestyle granola and salted almonds.