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What to eat in India? Top 13 Indian Deep-fried Dishes

Last update: Fri Mar 21 2025
Top 13 Indian Deep-fried Dishes
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01
Chicken 65
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Chicken 65 is a classic poultry dish with origins in Chennai, India. It consists of deep-fried chicken that is marinated in ginger, lemon, red chiles, and a variety of other spices. There are a few theories about the origin of chicken 65. The most popular theory says that it was created in Tamil Nadu by A. M. Buhari in 1965.


Another one says that the original dish was made with 65 hot chili peppers, as a testament of manliness. There are also some unlikely theories, such as the one claiming that the chicken was cut into 65 pieces, or that the chicken was 65 days old when the dish was prepared. 

MOST ICONIC Chicken 65

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02

Vegetable Dish

NORTHERN INDIA, India
4.4
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Malai kofta is a traditional North Indian dish consisting of fried potato and paneer balls in a creamy sauce. The dish is commonly served at festivals, celebrations, and weddings due to its rich texture and flavors. A typical dish of Mughal cuisine, developed in Medieval India by the cooks of the Mughal Empire, it is essentially a vegetarian substitute for a meatball curry, malai meaning cream, and kofta meaning dumplings.


The dish is often prepared in a unique wok called a kadai, hence the other name of the dish, kadai kofta. Some food historians believe that these deep-fried dumplings have incorporated the influences of Turkish and Persian food cultures within them. 

MOST ICONIC Malai kofta

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03
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Papri chaat is an Indian dish consisting of deep-fried wafers (papri), tamarind and mint chutney, black grams, potatoes, and dahi. The ingredients are layered, and the dish is usually sprinkled with sev—fried chickpea noodles—and chaat masala—a spice mix which combines cumin, coriander, dried mango and ginger, as well as chili, asafoetida, and black pepper.


The dish is a common street food item, and it is usually enjoyed as a filling, convenient snack. It is mainly found in North India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

04

Snack

INDIA and  3 more regions
4.3
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Due to their crunchy texture and a variety of different flavors, samosas provide a perfect introduction to the world of Indian cuisine for newcomers. These deep-fried, triangular pastries are filled with a variety of ingredients ranging from vegetables to meat, such as onions, lentils, spiced potatoes, peas, or ground meat.


It is said that the popular, golden-brown snack travelled to India along the old trade routes from Central Asia, which is why samosas are also prevelent in Middle Eastern countries where they are typically served for Ramadan. In Saudi Arabia, for example, they are typically filled with meat or cheese and can be shaped as triangles, squares, and rolls. 
VARIATIONS OF Samosa

MOST ICONIC Samosa

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Pakora is a savory, deep-fried Indian snack made with pieces of vegetables such as cauliflower and eggplant. Although it is a quintessential Indian snack that can be easily found on numerous street corners, it can also be made at home. Traditionally, pakoras are at their most popular during spring, when the locals enjoy fried foods to celebrate the monsoon season.


The snack comes in many varieties but is usually made from two main ingredients - potato, and another vegetable or meat of choice, which is then dipped in flour and deep-fried in ghee. Pakoras are usually seasoned with turmeric, salt, chili, or other spices. 

MOST ICONIC Pakora

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06
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Gobi manchurian is a traditional Indo-Chinese dish consisting of fried cauliflower (gobi) that’s tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce (manchurian). There are two versions of the dish – dry and in gravy. The dry version is often served as an appetizer or a bar snack with ketchup on the side as a dipping sauce, while the gravy version features a thick sauce made with cornstarch and it’s usually served as a main dish with rice on the side, either fried or steamed.


The cauliflower florets are coated in batter and deep-fried until crisp. The batter often consists of water, flour, corn flour, red chili powder, and seasonings, while the sauce is made with a combination of garlic, ginger, onions, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, and chili peppers. 
07

Snack

NORTHERN INDIA, India
4.1
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Aloo tikki is a flavorful snack that is popular in North India and Pakistan. It consists of potatoes (aloo) and onions made into croquettes (tikki), which are then flavored with various spices and deep-fried. The croquettes are a staple of every chaat stall in Mumbai and North India.


Aloo tikki is often garnished with onion, chutney, coriander, or hot chiles, and it is usually served with yogurt or chickpeas. In Mumbai, the snack is often topped with spicy curries. Although aloo tikki is mostly consumed in North India and Pakistan, it is also gaining popularity in the United Kingdom, especially in the East Midlands area.

MOST ICONIC Aloo tikki

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08

Street Food

MAHARASHTRA, India
4.1
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Batata vada is a popular vegetarian street food item that was invented in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a potato fritter made with a combination of mashed potatoes and spices that is shaped into a ball, dipped in chickpea batter called besan, then deep-fried.


The dish is typically served with a chutney consisting of shredded coconut, tamarind, and garlic. Batata vada is also a part of a popular Indian sandwich called vada pav, consisting of batata vada and chutney, served on soft buns called pav

MOST ICONIC Batata vada

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09
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One of India's most popular deep-fried snacks known as samosa is often called "the king of Indian street food." This particular variety is stuffed with a savory filling of sliced onions (and sometimes also cabbage and rice flakes) which are seasoned with a variety of spices such as red chili powder, poha, and coriander.


Typically served hot, the crispy fried onion samosas are best enjoyed accompanied with the zesty mint and coriander chutney.

10

Snack

MADDUR, India
4.0
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Medu vada is an Indian snack that is visually similar to a doughnut, consisting of a deep-fried batter made from black lentils and seasonings such as fenugreek, cumin, pepper, chili, and ginger. The fritters are often served for breakfast with coconut chutney and sambar on the side.


It is believed that medu vada was invented in the city of Maddur, located in the region that is today known as Karnataka.

MOST ICONIC Medu vada

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11
Snack
TAMIL NADU, India
3.9
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Snack
TAMIL NADU, India
3.6
13

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 13 Indian Deep-fried Dishes” list until March 21, 2025, 1,124 ratings were recorded, of which 883 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Indian Deep-fried Dishes