What to Eat in Varanasi: Kachori, Chaat and Malaiyyo

Quick answer

Start the day with kachori-sabzi and hot jalebi, try tamatar chaat in the evening, and drink lassi from a clay kulhad. In winter, don't miss malaiyyo, a saffron milk froth made only on cold mornings. Finish with a Banarasi paan. Varanasi is one of the easiest Indian cities for vegetarian and Jain food, and much of the old city is meat-free.

How easy is it to eat well?

Vegetarian & Jain friendliness

5/5

5 = easy everywhere, 1 = plan every meal

Indian food availability

5/5

5 = Indian restaurants everywhere, 1 = rare

Dishes to try in Varanasi

Kachori-sabzi with jalebi
The Banarasi breakfast: small fried kachoris stuffed with dal, a spicy potato sabzi and jalebi straight from the oil. Best before 10 am around Kachori Gali.
Tamatar chaat
A Varanasi original: tomatoes cooked down with potato, ginger, green chilli and spices, topped with sev and a sweet syrup, served in a leaf bowl in the evening.
Malaiyyo
Saffron-tinted milk froth, left out in the winter dew and whipped at dawn. Sold only on cold mornings, roughly November to February, in the old city lanes.
Lassi in a kulhad
Thick, sweet lassi topped with malai and sometimes rabri or fruit, served in a clay cup. The lanes near Godowlia and Manikarnika have the best-known shops.
Banarasi paan
Betel leaf with katha, supari and sweet fillings such as gulkand. Ask for a meetha paan without tobacco.
Thandai
Chilled milk with almonds, fennel, pepper and rose. Around Holi and Mahashivratri, some shops add bhang, so ask for it without.
Launglata
A sweet pastry sealed with a clove, filled with khoya and soaked in syrup. Heavy, rich and very Banarasi.
Baati chokha
Purvanchal comfort food: wheat balls roasted over coals, with chokha of mashed spiced aubergine, potato and tomato, and ghee.
Chura matar
A winter dish of flattened rice cooked with fresh green peas, ghee and spices; light, cheap and sold in the mornings.
Palak patta chaat
Spinach leaves fried in gram-flour batter and topped with yoghurt, chutneys and spices; the crisp evening partner to tamatar chaat.
Sattvic thali
Dal, seasonal sabzi, kadhi, rice, puri and kheer, often cooked without onion or garlic, at thali houses near the temples.
Biryani and kebabs
Found in Muslim neighbourhoods such as Madanpura and in Cantonment restaurants. Meat is rarely served near the ghats and temples.

Phrases that help

Useful phrases
Say	Meaning
Bina pyaaz-lehsun ke	Without onion and garlic
Jain khana milega?	Is Jain food available?
Kam teekha	Less spicy
Bina bhang wali thandai	Thandai without bhang
Meetha paan, bina tambaku	Sweet paan, no tobacco

Is Varanasi good for vegetarian food?

It is one of the best cities in India for it. The old city around the ghats and Kashi Vishwanath is largely vegetarian, many restaurants serve sattvic food without onion or garlic, and Jain travellers will find the request understood almost everywhere. Meat is easier to find in the Cantonment and in neighbourhoods such as Madanpura.

How to eat in Varanasi

Varanasi's best food is street food, and it runs on a clock. Breakfast is kachori-sabzi with jalebi from about 7 am. Lassi and paan carry you through the afternoon. Chaat stalls fire up after 4 pm, and the evening crowd fills the lanes around Godowlia after the aarti. In winter, add malaiyyo and chura matar to the morning; in summer, thandai and lassi matter more.

A simple food day

Kachori-sabzi and jalebi near Kachori Gali before your morning walk.
A kulhad lassi in the afternoon near Godowlia.
Tamatar chaat and palak patta chaat at around 6 pm.
A sattvic thali or baati chokha for dinner.
A meetha paan to finish.

Hygiene and caution

Street food here is cooked fresh and sells fast, but choose stalls with a queue of locals, skip raw garnishes if your stomach is sensitive, and drink bottled or filtered water. Around Holi and Mahashivratri, some shops sell thandai and sweets laced with bhang. It is sold legally at licensed shops but is potent, so ask before you drink.

Malaiyyo is made only on cold mornings, roughly November to February, and sells out by mid-morning. If you see it, buy it.

Plan the rest

Pair food stops with things to do in Varanasi, check the best time to visit Varanasi for malaiyyo season, and choose a base in where to stay in Varanasi. If you are continuing west, see the Delhi food guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous food in Varanasi?

Kachori-sabzi with jalebi is the classic breakfast, tamatar chaat is the city's signature evening snack, and Banarasi paan is its best-known after-meal habit. In winter, malaiyyo, a saffron milk froth, is the speciality everyone looks for. Lassi in a clay kulhad is the drink most visitors remember.

Is it easy to find Jain food in Varanasi?

Yes. Many restaurants and thali houses near the ghats serve food without onion and garlic, and the request is widely understood. Ask for Jain khana or bina pyaaz-lehsun. Potatoes and other root vegetables are hard to avoid in street food like kachori-sabzi, so use restaurants for strict Jain meals.

Is street food safe in Varanasi?

Usually, if you choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh in front of you. Avoid pre-cut fruit, uncovered chutneys and tap water, and start slowly if you have a sensitive stomach. Carry hand sanitiser, and keep oral rehydration salts in your bag in summer.

What is bhang thandai, and is it legal in Varanasi?

Bhang is a preparation of cannabis leaves, traditionally mixed into thandai or sweets around Holi and Mahashivratri. It is sold at government-licensed bhang shops in Uttar Pradesh, but it is strong and can take an hour or more to act. Avoid it if you are unfamiliar, and ask for thandai without bhang when ordering.

How we checked this page

Last reviewed 28 October 2026

Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.