Pandal hopping during Durga Puja is never complete without gorging on street food. The innumerable stalls of street food outside the various pandals in the city prove the citizens' love for spicy street food of Kolkata. With the wide variety of street food available in the city, Kolkata sure is the street food lover's paradise, and with Durga Puja around the corner, the tangy and spicy flavour of the street food increases manifold. With street food being so much in demand during Durga Puja, HeadlinesIndia decided to guide our readers through the best of street food available in Kolkata.

Jhalmuri and Bhelpuri

Bhelpuri is another popular street food

Puffed rice seasoned with spices, chilly, onions, tomato, papri and sweet and sour chutney, Jhalmuri is another exlusive Kolkata street food, famous for filling up people when they are starving. The sweeter version minus the chilly is Bhelpuri, which is far, far better than the Bhelpuri we get in Mumbai. Even for Mumbaikars, Kolkata's Bhelpuri is a delight, and both Jhalmuri and Bhelpuri remain not-to-be-missed street foods during Durga Puja.

Chaats

Papri Chaat, Aloo Chaat, Samosa Chaat, Rajkachori Chaat, Mixed Chaat, Aloo Tikki Chaat, Dahi Vada – you name it and Kolkata's chaat counter has it! Famous for its wide variety of chaats, Kolkata becomes a haven for chaat lovers during Durga Puja, with so many chaat vendors gathering near the pandals, offering a variety of chaat to customers. Especially famous is the “Ghughni”, which is made of white matar, and served with ginger flakes, tomatoes, green chillies and coriander. Don't miss it!

Rolls

Mutton, chicken, egg, vegetable or simply paneer – Kolkata's rolls can never replace the frankies available in any other city of India. With sauces and spicy stuffing filled in a crunchy parantha, the Rolls available in Kolkata become all the more special with the crunchy slices of onions and capsicums added to them. Appetising and fulfilling, Rolls are the best way satiate your hunger.

Other Street Foods

There are many more dishes available on the streets of Kolkata, which can qualify as street food. Chowmein, Momo, Pao Bhaji, Radhaballabhi, Kochuri and not to forget the “Shingara” - all these can make any food lover go weak in the knees. Forget about calories, and gorge on these yummy foods during this Durga Puja.

Puchkas remain an eternal favourite during Durga Puja

Puchka

No street food can ever possibly overtake this most popular street food of Kolkata. Puffed puris stuffed with a spicy stuffing of potato and chana, and dipped in tangy tamarind water flavoured with coriander and mint leaves, Kolkata's Puchkas stand way ahead of its counterparts in any other part of India. The perennial favourite of the Bengalis, Puchka remains an all-time favourite during Durga Puja too.

Mishti Sukh

When talking about food in Kolkata, we cannot possibly do without mentioning the sweets. Popular as the city which offers the best sweets, Kolkata's sweetness increases considerably during Durga Puja. With so many sweets to choose from, it often becomes difficult for a sweet-lover Kolkatan to choose one sweet and ignore the other. Rosogolla, Rasmalai, Gulab Jamun, Pantua, Goja, Sandesh, Mishti Doi, Cham cham, Payesh..... The list of sweets available in Kolkata is endless!

To make it easier for our sweet-toothed reader to choose sweets this season, HeadlinesIndia visited the famous KC Das shop in Esplanade, and found out what's special this year. Dhiman Das, Director of this popular sweet shop in Kolkata gave us the details about the sweets which have been made exclusively for Durga Puja 2007. The sweet-lovers can feast themselves to temptations like Cream Delight (Cham cham with a chocolate cream topping), Cream Sandwich (a decorative sweet with three layers and a floral design in cream) and Rasa Kunja (Cham cham with a strawberry cream topping). The other sweet delicacies include Chandrapuli, Narkol Chapa, and Rasa Chandrika (a small Rosogolla with khoya and coconut layering on top). These special sweets are on offer specially during Durga Puja, apart from the regular spread, which includes the KC Das special Amrita Kumbha (a small Sandesh pitcher filled with a cream stuffing).

Salivating already? Don't get so impatient. All these sumptuous dishes are in store for you this Durga Puja in Kolkata. Make the most of your festival, and eat to your heart's content. After all, Durga Puja is all about eating, drinking and making merry!