Indian street food
Indian street food glossary.
Indian menus are full of words that are never explained. This glossary covers the ones you will see most, from chaat and sev to tadka and pav.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 2 min read
Terms
40 words
Groups
4
Most asked
Chaat, sev, pav
Use
Menu decoder
01
Snack words
The words behind the dishes:
- Chaat: a family of tangy snacks with crisp bases, yogurt and chutneys.
- Puri: a small, puffed, deep-fried bread.
- Papdi: a flat, crisp fried wafer used in chaat.
- Sev: fine, crisp noodles of gram flour, used as a topping.
- Pav: a soft bread roll.
- Vada: a fried fritter.
- Bhalla: a soft lentil dumpling.
- Tikki: a small, flat, pan-fried patty.
- Kachori: a round fried pastry with a filling.
- Samosa: a triangular fried pastry with a savoury filling.
02
Sauce and topping words
What goes on top:
- Imli: tamarind, the sour fruit used in sweet chutney.
- Dahi: yogurt.
- Pani: water, usually the spiced water in pani puri.
- Chutney: a relish or sauce, from herbs, fruit or spices.
- Chaat masala: a tangy, salty spice mix.
- Amchur: dried mango powder, for sourness.
- Kala namak: black salt, with a savoury, sulphurous taste.
- Jaggery: unrefined cane sugar.
- Maska: butter.
- Ghee: clarified butter.
03
Cooking words
How it is made:
- Tadka: spices sizzled in hot fat and poured over a dish.
- Masala: a spice blend, or a spiced mixture.
- Bhaji: a vegetable dish, or a fritter.
- Paratha: a layered, griddled flatbread.
- Roti: a plain flatbread.
- Atta: whole wheat flour.
- Besan: gram flour from chickpeas.
- Paneer: fresh, mild cheese.
- Dal: lentils.
- Chole: chickpea curry.
04
Drink words
What to sip:
- Chai: tea.
- Kadak: strong.
- Lassi: a yogurt drink.
- Banta: a bottled lemon soda.
- Thanda: cold.
- Kulhad: a clay cup.
- Tapri: a roadside stall.
- Cutting: a half serving of chai.
- Shikanji: a spiced lemonade.
- Thandai: a spiced milk drink for festivals.
05
Try them at Tapri Chai
You can taste many of these words on our menu. Tapri Chai is at 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa, open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm.
- Samosa Chaat, $12.99
- Pani Puri, $9.99
- Vada Pav, $5.49
- Kadak Chai, $4.49
- Mango Lassi, $5.99
Questions, answered.
What is chaat?
A family of Indian snacks with a crisp base, yogurt and tangy chutneys.
What is sev?
Thin, crisp gram flour noodles used as a topping.
What is tadka?
A tempering of spices in hot fat, poured over a dish.
What does tapri mean?
A small roadside stall, often selling tea.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.