Punjabi-dominated Tilak Nagar in West Delhi is known across the country as Virat Kohli’s favourite place for chole bhature. Any true Delhiite will tell you that the entire area is a desi foodie’s paradise. It is the most sought-after place to relish spicy roadside tikkas, tandoori momos, shawarma, deep-fried fish pakoras, butter-laden chaap rolls, desi-style burgers and of course Virat’s favourite chole bhature.

This is also where foodies come together at 3-4 am. In the wee hours when the capital is fast asleep, food stalls in Tilak Nagar open till late night serving deep-fried delicacies like chicken samosas, chilli paneer samosas and heavy chicken omelettes. Even at these early hours, the wait to get your order can be long.

Among these popular street food vendors who offer a variety of oily and spicy dishes, it was surprising to see a ‘healthy wrap’ cart emerge, grabbing attention. Its aim? To serve healthy, tasty food. Its workstation, reminiscent of a Subway outlet, holds a variety of vegetables such as corn, jalapenos, olives, mushrooms, zucchini, capsicum, lettuce, tomatoes and salad leaves. The now-viral wrap vendor uses them liberally, but controls the amount of sauce to keep the health quotient high – even though he claims they are fat-free.

The response to their business has been impressive; the number of customers and the long wait to receive orders is proof of this.

Street food made healthier

This ‘healthier’ version of street food is being seen across the country, reflecting the shift towards healthier food options. For instance, a chaat vendor in Ludhiana’s Feroze Gandhi Market has taken the internet by storm for his unique sprouts chaat. A healthy dish anyway, this special version is loaded with a variety of veggies – mushrooms, capsicum, corn, broccoli and carrots, apart from the regular tomatoes-onions, making this dish even more nutritious.

Think Kolkata street food. Are visions of crispy cutlets, chops, chowmein and kathi rolls flashing through your mind? Kolkata loves its street food, and so does the world. However, in the last few years, a healthier competitor—bhapa chicken (steamed chicken)—has entered the fray.

Vendors have their own different methods of preparation. Basically, the concept is to marinate the chicken a little, wrap it in aluminium foil and then steam it. Bengali kitchens have always been familiar with steaming as a method of cooking (Bhapa Ilish is one of the most popular Bengali dishes), but its introduction to the street food scene is quite recent. Steamed chicken, often prepared in a momo steamer, is also becoming popular in Delhi.

Speaking of momos, often called the soul of Delhi food, there are healthier versions of it sold on the streets too. Think momos made with wheat flour instead of the regular maida or the now viral black rice momos from Humayunpur.

A similar trend is being seen in Mumbai, where roadside stalls are selling protein-rich chickpea salad and fresh vegetables. And avocado toast from Surat is also quite popular.

Healthy street food is not a new concept

But wait. Hasn’t healthy street food always been a part of our culture? Remember the roadside vendors selling things like puffed rice, pre-shredded coconut flakes, shakarkand (sweet potato) chaat, freshly cut fruits and the simple chana chaat that are still a part of the country’s food culture.

We have always been surrounded by healthy options, but we never talked much about them, says Delhi-based corporate professional and food content maker Sameer Bawa.

Sameer Bawa told India Today, “In North India, we find healthy street food like Indian plum (phalsa) and sweet potatoes, which are eaten in summers. When we used to travel by train, vendors used to sell sliced ​​vegetables like carrots and turnips, sprinkled with salt. In the South, roadside aloe vera juice and raw mangoes with spices have been very popular. Simple and extremely healthy things like boiled eggs are also there. These things never became a topic of attraction or discussion among people, because they were always there.”

Even in the current scenario, all these healthy snacks are sold almost everywhere. However, in the past few years, processed junk street-side food has become dominant.

This phenomenon of street food becoming healthier may be due to awareness and an overall interest in healthy living fueled by social media. “People are now more health conscious and are making choices that are better for the long term,” says Bava.

“People have started preparing their food in a way that is more health-friendly. And there is definitely a growing trend of people paying more attention to their protein intake,” he says.

However, he also believes that many sellers are doing this only in the name of health, as they think it is a potentially lucrative business. “This phenomenon can be seen in the FMCG industry as well. Instead of fried papdi, baked options are being sold. The same is true with potato chips. Even though everything is good in moderation, we cross the limits of moderation with overeating,” says Bava.

Beware of healthy scammers

Meanwhile, nutritionists are happy to see healthier food options emerging on the streets, but they also say many vendors mislead in the name of selling healthy items. They will put mayonnaise and other sauces on your veggie wrap and still say it is healthy.

Parmeet Kaur, Head and Chief Nutritionist and Dietician, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram says, “These heavy sauces and mayonnaise are high in saturated fats. Consuming them in excess can increase the risk of heart disease. It is important to maintain moderation while consuming heavy sauces to avoid negative health effects.”

Here are some tips by Simrat Kathuria, CEO and leading dietitian, The Diet Experts, that will help you make better choices:

• Check the ingredients and cooking methods. Wraps made with refined flour and toasted in poor quality butter or oil are of no use.
• Be careful with heavy sauces and mayonnaise. ‘Healthy’ sandwiches, wraps or salads often use high-calorie dressings.
• Choose grilled or baked foods over fried foods.

Hygiene is another important factor that should not be overlooked.

India has a rich history of street food vendors and hawkers; easy availability, variety on offer and low prices make street food popular among people from all walks of life.

However, its downside cannot be ignored either. Indian street food is often known for unsafe handling of food, use of poor quality ingredients and compromise on hygiene. At times, the street food you love so much may even contain feces.

Rutu Dhodapkar, senior dietitian and nutritionist at PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, emphasises on eating from FSSAI-certified vendors and vendors who use fresh bottled water for cooking. Also, check if the utensils and equipment used are clean, the stall/cart is clean and the ingredients are stored properly.

The last morsel

If you are enjoying street food for the taste, remember that moderation is the key. It is okay to indulge in it once in a while!

But if health is your priority, you now know that street food has undergone healthier transformations. Otherwise, for every plate of aloo tikki, chowmein or momos, there have always been healthier options like puffed rice bhel (or the Bengali version, jhalmuri), chana chaat, roasted corn, fruit chaat, roasted sweet potatoes, boiled eggs and even sliced ​​cucumbers and kachori.