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The first thing that comes to one’s mind when someone says street food are chatpata chaats and the streets of Chandini Chowk in Delhi are synonymous to them. Often referred to as the birth place of ‘Chaat’ Chandini Chowk has one of the yummiest street foods to offer. However, North India on the whole, is known for some of the most lip-smacking street foods in the nation.

This tangy and flavourful affair from the streets of north India has resonated throughout the country and made everyone a fan. Be it the heavenly Samosas, the spicy and tangy Golgappas, Bhel Puri or Chana Chaat; these have become some of the crucial inclusions in the street food scene across India. However, no matter how yummy or delicious these dishes are, they’re not very healthy, when it comes to their nutritional value. So if you want to gorge on these without worrying about it being unhealthy, we’ve got a few hacks you could look into while making them at home.

Samosas

These stuffed and fried pockets are delicious and filling at the same time. However, deep frying them does make them really calorie-heavy. So instead of deep frying, you could switch to baking or air-frying them. Also for stuffing, along with the potatoes, you could include other vegetables like carrots, corn, capsicum, French beans or even paneer; too add to its nutritional value.

Golgappas

You either know it as Pani puri, puchkas or Golgappas - these crunchy fried puris with pungent waters are a snack that everyone is in love with. Originally it comes with either a ragda, aloo-boondi or moong sprouts stuffing, however you could switch to only moong sprouts to add to its health quotient. Moreover, instead of deep-frying the puris you could always air-fry them to keep them healthier. It wouldn’t taste any different, but it would make them a whole lot healthier.

Chana Chaat

Another crowd favourite, Chana chat is basically boiled chick-peas and potatoes tossed in various tangy masalas along with a squeeze of lime. And while it doesn’t sound very unhealthy, the addition of other crunchy vegetables like cucumber, carrots and moong sprouts to the mix will not only add to the texture but it also will enhance the nutritional value of this cool snack.

Momos

Originally from the North East, Momos have made a special place in the street-food scene of the north. These tiny stuffed dumplings, either steamed or fried are a crowd favourite these days. While the steamed versions are already healthier than their fried counterparts, the extensive use of maida for the outer layer isn’t really healthy to be consumed regularly. However, you can replace maida with whole wheat flour. It might not taste similar to maida, but it is definitely a healthier switch.

Chole Bhature

The northern street food is incomplete without the inclusion of Chole Bhature. Chole are essentially chick peas cooked in numerous masalas and served with puffed, deep-fried bhaturas made from maida or refined flour dough. To add a healthier spin to this, you could switch to whole wheat flour (which technically makes them puris, but its healthier!). Moreover instead of deep-frying in oil, you could air fry or bake them to make it healthier and less calorie-loaded. Check out a baked bhature recipe here.