14 Life-Changing Indian Snack Foods That You Need To Try

Tastes like magic, feels like home. B/c lets be real, who needs Ramen and Doritos when you've got Maggi and Kurkure?

1. Maggi Masala Noodles

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What It Is: Nestle's Maggi is a brand of instant noodles that is available across the world, but it's the spicy, curry accents to this Indian one that make it literal perfection. Ramen what?

Reminds You Of: Those late night sleepovers, slurping on piping hot noodles and watching DDLJ with your friends.

2. Kurkure

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What It Is: Crunchy corn and rice based puffs, loaded with all sorts of Indian spicy and tangy goodness.

Reminds You Of: Chai-time 'gupshup' and auntyji style gossip with the girls.

3. Aloo Bhujia

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What It Is: Made with potatoes, gram flour and spices, it's hard not to spill bits of this delightfully light and crunchworthy snack all over your keyboard .

Reminds You Of: Strolling through the by-lanes of Rajasthani villages, amidst the familiar warmth of a cacophony of namkeenwaalas and street vendors.

4. Kachori

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What It Is: A roundly shaped, flattened ball of fine flour stuffed with assorted lentils, red chilli powder and black pepper, among others.

Reminds You Of: That perfectly crisp first bite of fried perfection you enjoy with your favorite hot cuppa during a much-needed office hour break.

5. Lays Magic Masala

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What It Is: Basically, potato chips. Except, these are not your average potato chips y'all. Lightly fried into golden perfection, it's the fragrant and fresh spices[and notes of cumin and black pepper] that put chemically flavored American chips to shame.

Reminds You Of: Munching on a giant packet of your favorite comfort food while stalking your ex on Facebook at 2am.

6. Golgappas

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What It Is: Crispy, spherical little fried balls of happiness, stuffed with assorted ingredients ranging from lentils, to boiled potatoes, chickpeas, etc. Topped with tamarind and other spicy chutneys.

Reminds You Of: Slurping on that pani-puri water whilst drifting around in Kolkata's by-lanes with your significant other, [and bunking college]/ Your fave scene from Rab ne Bana di Jodi.

7. Masala Coke

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What It Is: Ok, so basically everything in India tastes 10X better with spices. So why not mix them to your fizzy and chilled Pepsi/Coke, amirite?

Reminds You Of: Carbonated goodness available at that roadside Delhi shop.. that you'd bunk your college/school classes for.

8. Momos

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What It Is: Originally from Tibet, these dumplings are everyone's go-to snack. Consisting of bite-sized bits of dough stuffed with either chicken/meat/ a veggie alternative like paneer, along with spring onions and garlic, among others. Typically served with a fiery red sauce.

Reminds You Of: Delhi University college days and the perfect smoking-up munchies.

9. Chilli Garlic Potatoes

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What It Is:More living proof that Indian-style Chinese roadside food deserves its own full-fledged cuisine category, these are deep fried potato wedges cooked in a spicy set of sauces. Accompanied with garlic, spring onions, chilli flakes and a drizzle of honey. Omnomnom.

Reminds You Of: Attending big-fat desi weddings and hogging on the finger eats and oily starters.

10. Samosa

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What It Is: Common across the Middle-East, South Asia, as well as parts of Central Asia, this consists of a typically triangular pastryish dough stuffed with peas, lentils, potatoes, and such. Some also have minced meat, but whatever the stuffing, it is a much-loved savoury snack.

Reminds You Of: Street shopping among the tiny by-lanes of Chandni Chowk, with the aromas from the local halwai beckoning out to you.

11. Banana Chips

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What It Is: Sliced bananas, dried and then fried in a mixture of oil[usually coconut oil], salt and some ground spices. Can be either spicy or salty, and flavours vary from pepper flavoured to mint or tomato flavoured too.

Reminds You Of: Your childhood

12. Pakoras

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What It Is: Vegetables like onions, potatoes, as well as chillies and even bread, among others, are dipped a spicy batter and deep fried to make these munchies. Best served piping hot, with freshly ground chutney.

Reminds You Of: Heavy, yet refreshing showers of rain along with constant gossip with your mumma and the annoying auntyjis paying your home a 'visit'.

13. Masala Peanuts

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What It Is: Crunchy peanuts coated with a layer of gram flour and fragrant spices are fried or roasted to create this traditional South Indian snack.

Reminds You Of: Middle-aged men eating handfuls of these as the perfect accompaniment to their drink in most shady clubs and pubs, with Yo Yo Honey blaring on in the background.

14. Chaat

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What It Is: Literally no list on Indian snack/street food could be complete without this, chaat[s] pretty much deserve a list of their own. Most comprise of basic ingredients such as chutneys, tangy yogurt, chopped onions, black salt, cumin, coriander etc. Right from bhel puri to papri chaat, each has its own exciting twist, but all commonly available snacks throughout the subcontinent.

Reminds You Of: Happiness. And coming home.