As part of the ongoing pre-wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, his mother, Nita Ambani arrived in Varanasi yesterday to offer prayers and personally deliver the wedding invitation at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The couple is set to tie the knot on 12th July at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai, and this has been one of many stops along the way in the build-up to the big day.

The draw of this holy city in Uttar Pradesh means it plays host to thousands if not millions of devotees every year, and one of the additional benefits of a visit here is a chance to sample their delectable local cuisine. Nita Ambani didn’t miss out on their iconic chaat, and post her visit to the temple, she was seen enjoying a plate of tomato chaat and tikkis along with other local chaats in palash leaf bowls along with some chai while happily chatting with the restaurant staff and locals.

Nita Ambani is well-known for preferring simple, local food and maintaining a strict vegetarian diet, so seeing her enjoy some local chaat emphasises her love for Indian flavours. This ancient city has so much to offer for visitors, but if you’re planning a visit here, there are a few dishes you can’t miss.

5 Must Try Street Foods In Varanasi

Palak Patta Chaat

Spinach leaves are dipped in a spiced besan batter, crispy fried and then topped with a selection of tangy chutneys, dahi and chaat masala. This takes a simple leafy green and lets it shine in a chaat dish that’s unlike the rest.

Tamatar Chaat

For those who like their chaat with an extra tangy edge, this unique Varanasi creation is a must-try. Made with boiled and mashed potatoes mixed with chillies, tomatoes, onions and coriander, and flavoured with a mixture of spices. It’s a little spicy but paired with crunchy namak pare and a dusting of chaat masala, it’s an explosion of flavours.

Aloo Tikki Chaat

At famed places like Kashi Bandar, you can dig into a plate of this perfect chaat combination. Made with fried, spiced potato tikkis which are then served with a spoonful of chole on top along with dahi, sweet and spicy chutneys, a handful of fresh onions and a dusting of masala for a mixture of flavours.

Meetha Samosa Chaat

The ultimate anytime street food, samosa, meets the complex flavours of chaat. A samosa is crushed, and served in a spiced curry, usually with more chutneys on top. In the Varanasi version, sweeter imli chutney is favoured to perfectly balance out the spices of the samosa and curry.

Kachori Sabzi

The perfect day in Varanasi has to start with Kachori Sabzi. There are two main versions of this breakfast dish, first the Badi Kachori with is stuffed with a spicy mixture of Dal Ki Pithi, and second is Choti Kachori stuffed with a spiced potato mixture. Both are served with a side of spicy aloo curry for a hot breakfast that the whole city swears by.