Food for Soul - A Chat Walk in Varanasi

Varanasi is all about the ghats, temples,the chaos, history and culture.!

I was now ready to immerse myself into the soul of Banaras.

For comfort one can opt to stay at a star hotel. If you are a foodie craving for food and on a shoe string budget, want to experience the flovour of Varanasi then BEST option is try local food at local restaurants, where local recommend to eat.

I decided to wander around Varanasi in my own inimitable style to really explore it.

1.Chachi Ki Dukan

Being in Varanasi.One of the best ways to begin the day with a tasteful breakfast sitting roadside is Chachi Ka dukaan.

Unbeatably, the local favourite for breakfast in Lanka. One patientlly waits, even if its late and doesn’t matter. Fried pooris are called (called Kachoris) with piping hot mix sabzi for 50 rupees. It was erved with Kaddhu and Asafoetida flower in it.

This small shop is right behind the 3 pahalwan lassi bhandars!

2.Raju Thandai & Lassi Shop

Thandai, the quintessential summer drink of Banaras makes its appearance on the auspicious occasion of Holi. This drink was first introduced by rich Gujarati and Marwari merchants who settled down in the holy city centuries ago.

The shop is located at Godowlia circle known as Nandi chowk near to Dashashwabedh Ghat entrance.

It costed Rs 80/- for a glass

3.Roasted Groundnut or Peanuts

Known as poor mans badam - One of my personel biggest choice & recommendation for food in Varanasi is daana – a mixture of freshly roasted smoky grains – to be eaten while they are still warm – just like that or with some hot spicy chutney. You get them on pushcarts in the evenings or street peddlars. This is probably the healthiest snack you can ever have that tastes good too.

Roasted peanuts in Banaras are sold with a small paper packet or Pudiyas of rock salt to taste better. “Chana jor Garam” is a beaten black gram spiced up with onions and chilies usually done by moving hawkers.

Normally one can see local street hawkers selling at gowdolia Crcle ; entrance of Dashashwamedh ghat

Munch these as you walk the ghats & comment.How it was ?

4.Kedar Chat Bhandar and Deena Chat

Varanasi has its own varieties of chaats too.  A few special chaat dishes that the city is known for are Tamatar Chaat and Palak Pakoda Chaat. Deena Chaat Bhandar and Kashi Chaat Bhandaar, two shops on the Godowlia Luxa Road are always crowded with people gorging mainly these delicacies.  Tamatar chaat is a preparation served in earthen pots. A chaat made from potatoes and tomatoes with khowa and cashew is again served in an earthen pot. Tomato curry and ghee are added to it, and the final garnishing is done by coriander leaves and besan gathiya. This results in a semi-liquid chaat which is tangy and spicy.

You have a option to sit cozily inside or stand on road & eat as u wish.

5.Best Banarasi Paan -  Kuber Paan Bandar

Normally after a heavy meal, one prefers to have a paan with betel leaf for digestion with a mixture of other ingredients and clove.

But there is something about Banarasi paan that sets it apart. Is it the leaf, the ingredients, or is it the preparation? It is hard to pick but one thing is clear, there is no paan that tastes like Banarasi paan.

While Banarasi paan is evolving into new avatars — think chocolate, butterscotch paan, and even blueberry strawberry paan, in addition to the social media-friendly ‘fire paan’ — in Varanasi it is still preferred the classic way. Eaten with kattha (catechu) which is an extract from the Acacia tree, chuna (limestone paste), supari (betel nut), and in some cases tobacco, it is the quintessential old fashioned paan that lets you enjoy the subtle nuances of each ingredient.

6.Raj Bhandu Sweets 

A visit to Varanasi is not complete without tasting the special sweets of the city. The first on the list is Lal Peda. Rajbandhu Sweets, a 150-year-old place in Kachori Galli has quite a few versions of this sweet, including one which lasts a few days, so that people can carry it to different locations. The famed Banarasi sweet Lavang Lata (the signature flour pastry stuffed with khowa and held together by cloves, fried and dipped in sugar syrup) is good at Rajbandhu, but you also get a version at every samosa shop in the city. A must-try here is Parwal Ka Meetha, where an actual pointed gourd vegetable is stuffed with khowa and soaked in sugar syrup. This is one of the novel sweets of Eastern UP and Bihar. Rajbandhu has also a number of rajbhog versions in different colours.

7.Bati Choka 

Baati Chokha is a traditional and popular dish from the region of Banaras (also known as Varanasi) in India. It is a delicious and hearty meal that consists of two main components: baati and chokha.

Baati chokha is essentially a harmonious combination of baati (wheat balls stuffed with sattu roasted over charcoal) and chokha (curry of roasted brinjal, mashed potato and tomato) served with a generous helping of desi ghee.

What makes this dish simply irresistible is the underlying smoky flavour in the baati and the spicy smokiness from the brinjal in the chokha. 

The baati is slightly broken and dipped in desi ghee and served with hot chokha, a dash of green chutney, a couple of onion slices and a masala green chilli. This wholesome dish is healthy, delicious and prepared in the natural way.

3 different options available at same cost to try. A thali cost Rs 370/-.Beleive it.They serve you as you eat !

8.Ram Bhandar

The most famous and authentic breakfast place in Varanasi, Very crowded but worth the wait!! Kachodi, bhaji, khoya, jalebi is the must try dish here! They have choti kachori which has potato filling. Badi kachori is a mix of various daals and is super yummy. Bhaji is a mix of chole and potato gravy. In every bite of jalebi, the taste of khoya makes it super delicious and crispy too. You cannot just miss this dish when in Varanasi

It is located near to Tatheri Bazaar ; Near Taj Hotel.

9. Pahalwaan Lassi

10. Malaiyyo !!!

11. Singhara Fruit - Taste the Water Caltrop 

Water chestnuts, famously known as ‘ singhara ’ or Paniphal in India

Its scientific name is Trapa Natans., from the local ponds in Varanasi are available in pushcarts on road side.

It is an annual aquatic free - floating plant that grows in shallow water bodies, ponds, or marshes. The fruit of the water chestnut is called the nut. It is rich in copper, iron, iodine, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins  It benefits to manage blood pressure, aid digestion and much more. Singhara is also gluten-free, which makes it a valuable fruit for weight loss and for individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease

The fruit can be eaten raw or roasted.