If you read a lot of Indian novels, you'll know that people sometimes use "veg" and "nonveg" as shorthand for "tame" and "sexy," respectively. But as we ate our way across Mumbai, through Rajasthan, and into central India, we discovered that when it came to food, the opposite was true.

The vegetarian fare we ate was so much better, so much fresher, and so much more interesting than the nonvegetarian offerings that, after a while, we hardly even gave the meat a second glance. The best vegetarian street food—and to be honest, it was all pretty good—hits multiple pleasure centers: spicy, crispy, gooey, sweet, umami-licious.

Here are some highlights from a month of eating around India: chaat, pakoras, samosas, papad, and more.

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