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6 Min
05/01/2026
To enjoy guilt-free street food, just a little rethinking is needed. You will never feel deprived when your samosa retains its crunchiness, your vada retains its fluffiness, your kebab retains its browning, and your chaat maintains that perfect balance of sweetness, tanginess, and spice. Read more to find out how.
Indian street food is very tempting due to its crunchiness, spicy flavour, and nostalgic appeal, but the reality of its deep-frying often conflicts with the desire to eat healthier. Use this article as a guide and shortcut to enjoy it without feeling guilty. The plan is to use baking and air-frying to transform samosas and vadas into something healthier. These aren't "diet versions"; rather, they are clever, contemporary tricks that enable you to savour your favourites without feeling awful after eating them.
The crispiness, cosiness, and unlimited adaptability of samosas are the reasons for their global adoration. However, they tend to feel heavier than necessary when deep-fried. Baking reduces the amount of oil used while maintaining the same golden, flaky texture. While the filling remains the same, using tricks like no-oil air frying and non-maida sheets can be a healthy take. You can have a satisfying evening tea with these guilt-free samosas, which have a rich flavour without being heavy.
The perfect vada has a crisp outside and a cloud-soft inside, and air-frying maintains this while significantly reducing oil use. The batter remains the same, but hot-air crisping replaces deep-frying as the cooking technique. If you want to make a vada that is both healthier and more nostalgic, try adding pre-shredded carrots or chopped spinach for fibre and colour.
How many of us have tried those fruit or chana chaats from street vendors? Green moong chaat, Jhalmuri, andDescription:Description: black chana chaats are pretty common in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, while North Indian street vendors often sell delicious fruit chaat. Without using any deep-fried ingredients, what you can do is create sprouted chaat bowls.
A bed of sprouted moong, topped with chopped tomatoes, coriander, pomegranate, and a sprinkling of green and tamarind chutney, forms the foundation. The dish comes to life with the addition of black salt, roasted cumin, and lemon juice. For a healthier take on street food, try topping it with roasted chana or puffed rice for crunch.
Although hara bhara kebabs are already regarded as the ‘healthy’ cousin of street food, air-frying elevates them to a whole new level. A colourful and naturally flavourful green mixture is formed by combining blanched spinach, peas, pre-cut carrots, roasted besan, ginger, and green chilli. You can also use them as burger patties for a healthier alternative or serve them on party platters.
Many people mistakenly believe that oil adds flavour, but it's actually Indian masalas that bring the magic. The work here is done by fresh herbs, black salt, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, fennel, and ginger. Adding a little chutney or lemon juice can further transform even the most basic baked snack into something that would be perfect for a street vendor. When the seasoning is strong, the method isn’t noticeable; what you taste is pure delight.
Preparation is the key to guilt-free enjoyment. The good news is that those four snacks freeze very well. Prepare a large quantity, lay them flat in the freezer, and reheat them whenever hunger strikes. These are great for last-minute visitors or days when you want comfort without sacrificing health, since they crisp up wonderfully in the oven or air fryer.
