

There’s no shortage of street snacks to grab on-the-go in Kolkata (Calcutta), India.
But there was one Kolkata street food that caught my attention from the start. It was one of the most alluring and attractive street food sculptures I had ever seen.
From a distance it looked like a giant block of cheese, bright yellow in color, and fenced around the outside with a row of ripe red tomatoes and steam pouring from the center.
I was amazed and was immediately tempted to get a sample, so I did.
It was so good and so cheap that I found it nearly impossible to walk past this vendor for the rest of my Kolkata visit without ordering – it didn’t matter if I was hungry or stuffed from a Bengali feast, I couldn’t resist.
Ghugni chaat, as it’s commonly know, is a mixture of yellow peas (tastes similar to chickpeas) that are served piping hot.
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Now I won’t pretend to know exactly how a ghugni chaat street food sculpture works, but from enjoying many leaf bowl fulls and observing his cooking techniques I’ll do my best to explain.
The yellow peas are formed into a giant donut like shape. The center of the donut is filled with a thin layer of sizzling hot yellow peas which are heated by a flame of fire below. Throughout the day, as the vendor sells the hot batch, he neatly scrapes off more of the inner edges where it’s mixed with a little water, made into a curry-like snack, and then it’s ready to be served.
Beautiful red tomatoes, sliced onions, and corriandor are positioned on the outer edges of the food structure to complete the beautifully colorful street food sculpture.

When you order a serving of ghugni chaat, the vendor grabs an eco-friendly leaf bowl, and scoops in a few spoons of the simmering peas.
He then asks you if you’d like it spicy or salty or sour, and then proceeds to add the corresponding amount of chopped chillies, salt, and sour tamarind water, and lime juice to your liking.
A few slivers of fresh tomato, some chopped coriander and red onions (which are slightly dried out from resting on the edges of the sculpture) are thrown on top.
The vendor then miraculously manages to stir all the ingredients together without spilling more than a few drops, even though the leaf bowl is nearly overflowing.

The hot, semi-fragile leaf bowl of ghugni chaat must be carried from the bottom using the palm of your hand so it doesn’t collapse.
Using a little wooden ice cream spoon (except it’s about 4 times thinner and very fragile), it’s time to dig in.

A single portion of ghugni chaat costs just 10 INR ($0.19).
And the outrageously low price paired with how tasty it is, is precisely the reason why I found it impossible to resist every time I passed by while walking the streets of Kolkata.
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Vishal Kaushik
3 years ago
It was really very nice to see you.
Arti
11 years ago
Irresistable indeed!! All there Chaats of India are just mouth watering. Glad you are enjoying Indian food 🙂
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Art, I agree, chaat is so awesome, couldn’t get enough while I was in India!
Michael
11 years ago
I’ve had Chaat quite a few times, very delicious but it’s quite painful later on… if you know what I mean 😉
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Michael, glad you enjoy all the wonderful chaats as well.
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence)
11 years ago
This looks really tasty and not like anything I’ve ever seen! But I wonder, were you ever concerned about getting sick? This looks like a dish that could very easily get contaminated and lead to the dreaded Delhi Belly!
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Steph, it’s always a bit of a concern, but the vendor only serves the hot boiling inside, so it is served hot and fresh. Also, this vendor was pretty busy!
Mike@EarthDrifter
11 years ago
Definitely a work of art! You know it’s good and safe when there are always people around ordering and eating it.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Yup, that’s a good clue!