Top 10 Comfort Foods I Can't Live Without

I read this article recently which defined the author's take on Indian Comfort food. As drool worthy as the article was, it inspired me to come up with my own list. Below is my list of comfort food available only in India that I miss if I don't eat often (and crave like crazy when I travel abroad):

1) Chole Bhature - This has to be highest on the list. My only grouse with a sore throat is that I can't have the spicy chole. Chacha in DU and Sita Ram aside, my fav in Noida are those at a stall outside ICICI in Sector 18 and the ones in Nathus.

2) Pakode and Chai - These should ideally be separate points but together these are just killer. Crispy hot pakodas teamed with steaming hot ketli type chai can beat away all blues!

3) Samosas and Jalebis - Though I can never eat spicy filling inside the samosa and leave it out, there are few street foods in the world that can beat this crispy wonder. Sharing the crust can start the Third World War! I don't really have a sweet tooth but a bite of the thin crispy jalebi helps cut the spice in the samosa.

4) Gol Gappe - Call it puchka or pani puri or good ol' gol gappa, the satisfaction of savoring this tangy water filled deliciousness is unparalleled. I like mine as sooji puris with a little sonth and lots of cold teekha pani. And yes, staying in Ahmedabad has spoilt me such that I must end my gol gappa spree with a 'sukha', ie. an atta puri with aalu sprinkled with their chaat masala.   

5) Prawn with Vodka in Tomato Cream Sauce - Replacing my earlier favorite Fusilli Chicken Piri Piri, this is my ultimate Pasta dish in the whole world..no literally...all the pasta I have eaten elsewhere on my travels pales in comparison to Big Chill's sinful gorgeousness. I like mine with added bacon and paired with the Belgian Chocolate Shake. Oooohh, heaven! 

6) Aalu/ Mooli/ Gobi Paranthas - As far as my memory goes, every Sunday morning breakfast has been stuffed paranthas. Something of a tradition now, I find my weekend incomplete if I do not start my Sunday with these. I like mine crispy with loads of malai on them and aam ka achaar on the side. 

7) Rolls - The famous kathi roll gets a makeover at every corner wala stall. I love egg in my chicken roll and my new favorite is the Chicken Egg roll at Rolls King. Otherwise, just about any street vendor will do!

8) Dhaaba food- I absolutely am nuts about dhaaba food. Served piping hot, authentic to the core and it doesn't burn a hole in my wallet. My usual order is paneer bhurji, dal fry and butter roti. Food for gods! There have actually been times that we have driven all the way to Murthal, just to eat at the dhaabas and drive back. Yes, we are insane.

9) Hot Choc Fudge - This one is impossible to get outside the city. Nirula's Hot Choc Fudge is unbeatable. Decadent enough to break the strictest of diets, this tall Sundae is something of an institution in itself.

10) Bread Roll - This is a hidden secret of mine. Not something that I eat often, if I get my hands on hot off the kadai bread rolls, I can never stop at one. There was this time I went for a very important and formal meeting and was presented with a plate of lipsmacking rolls and I forgot all about the meeting, shamelessly wolfing down roll after roll :)