7 Must-try Street Foods in Chennai: Foodie’s Guide

Chennai resides in the hearts of all South Indian people. When trying delicious and finger-licking street food, there’s hardly a place in South India that can compete with Chennai’s traditional yet rich delicacies. Hotel menus are good to go, but sometimes it feels right to just ditch the normal way of eating for some thrilling street food adventures.

Here, Things2Do recommends the 7 best street food items in Chennai with your friends and family while roaming the streets because the streets contain the best experiences.

1Kothu Parotta

Kothu Parotta, a famous Chennai-based street food, serves the appetite of many people with its flavorful taste of spices and aromas. It is made with vegetables like onions, tomatoes, garlic, and curry leaves, along with a rich flavour of eggs. 

This blend contains a mix of shredded parotta, also called ‘paratha’ in some places, especially in North India. This can include meatballs, fish, chicken, and other meat items. It’s quite a heavy street food rich in calories.                                                                                                    

You can find this yummy flatbread dish at many hooks and corners in the cities. The best place to try it is Mylapore, one of the traditional areas in the city.  

Average price: INR 100

2Medhu Vada—Fritter Delight!

It is one of the most special South-Indian street food items that is quick to make and eat. A thick batter of crunchy chopped vegetables, spices, and lentils (especially black gram) is mixed. Its flat balls are made with a wet hand and the central hole is carved with a fingertip. After this step, they’re fried and start resembling somewhat doughnut-shaped fritters. 

Traditionally, they’re served with a rich coconut sauce (nariyal chutney) and hot sambhar on a leaf-like plate, exhibiting South-Indian culture. Its taste attracts customers who have a deep understanding of Chennai’s food flavours. 

You can try delicious and enriching medhu vadas at Murugan Idli Shop in T. Nagar, Chennai.

Average price: INR 60

3Podi Dosa – Masala Meal

Puri dosa’s magic lies in the miraculous use of a spice, podi masala. This spicy powder comprises chickpeas, black gram, dry red chillies, and salt. Before grinding the spices together, a low flame is used to roast them with some oil to provide them with an aromatic richness. 

This masala is put on the dosa, which is then allowed to become golden brown and crispy in the vibrant environment of flame. It’s served with all-time signature coconut sauce (nariyal chutney) and sambhar. 

You can enjoy the best podi dosa at Murugan Idli Shop.

Average price: INR 120

4Idiyappam with Coconut Milk – Sweet Snack

This is a sweet snack that is healthy and highly nutritious. It contains the right amount of calorific value if every element is used in the right proportion. This comforting and warm meal is an ultimate snack delight for foodies who love to try sweetness in a not-so-common way. 

A stiff dough of rice flour is put to use. It is taken through a machine to shred raw, thin, white-coloured, long noodles. After keeping these noodles under steam, they are left to cool for a while. Along with idiyappam, fresh coconut milk is served on top without boiling.

The best idiyappam lies in the corners of the Sri Murugan Idiyappam Shop.

5Jigarthanda – Rich Blend of Almonds

This creamy drink has a refreshing taste and is rich in almonds, milk, sugar, ice cream, nuts, and basil seeds. A special syrup, called nannari syrup, helps give it a signature flavour. Mostly, chilled milk is used to feel its refreshment in the scorching heat of Chennai. 

A scoop of vanilla ice cream is also added but this step can be changed based on the customer’s preference. The drink keeps the travellers’ and locals’ taste buds active and they always crave it for more. This drink is high in calories and gives a cooling sensation to the palette. 

It can be found easily with other best street food items in Chennai’s corners, with some places including Madurai’s Famous Jigarthanda, and T. Nagar in Chennai.

Average price: INR 80

6Murukku Sandwich: Vegetable Delight

Murukkus are somewhat circular rings made up of flour. They come in many flavours based on different spices and aromas. The filling of vegetables like potatoes, onions, capsicum, lattice, cheese, cucumber, spices, and mint sauce is put inside these large fritters. People experience a bombarding explosion of spice and crunch in their mouths while trying it out. 

This is another healthy street snack if the flour used to make murukku fritters is whole wheat. It can be extremely spicy if eaten from a streetside place so make sure that you tell them your spice tolerance in advance. This delicacy can be eaten for lunch or as a snack. 

One can enjoy the best murukku sandwiches at S. Chinappa Sandwich Centre. 

Average price: INR 70

7Atho – Cold Noodle Snack

Atho makes a yummy and adventurous cold noodle street food snack in Chennai. Its making is ordinary, like most other noodles, which includes boiling them in water and then tossing them with a small spoonful of oil. Then, all the right spices and vegetables, like cabbage, onion, garlic, green chilli, spring onion, and cilantro, are mixed. 

Additions like soy sauce, lemon, chilly sauce, salt, and oil enhance its taste. After tossing these vegetables for a while at medium heat, they’re kept to cool down and are served not very hot. These noodles are mostly egg-based but they come in other variations too. Vendors ensure that noodles don’t get soggy with other sauces while trying to keep the crunch in vegetables alive.  

The best place to eat tasty Atho is Burma Bazaar.

Average price: INR 70

Conclusion: 

In Chennai, every street food item explains a story that street vendors cherish close to their hearts. While roaming across this city’s streets, don’t hesitate to try different foods, as experiences matter the most. 

With rich and flavorful bites that will melt just right on your tongue, Chennai’s street food satisfies your taste buds, giving you the ultimate foodgasm. 

by Saanchi Gupta

Content Writer at Things2do