Delicious Indian Street Food Round Roti (Baati Chokha) on a Backlane in Varanasi, India

Indian round roti, known as baati chokha, are a popular street food to eat in Varanasi and other parts of North India.
What exactly is a baati chokha? Well to be honest with you, when I stopped by this street food vendor I had absolutely no idea what they were - and that's exactly the reason why I felt compelled to stop and try some. Though the vendor's mouth was packed full of paan mouth chew, I could make out him telling me that they were round rotis. So imagine a roti, which is similar to a tortilla, or just a blob of dough, rounded up into a small ball about the size of a golf ball and grilled. Within the ball were a mix of spices called garam masala. And if that doesn't already sound tasty enough, it was served with an outstanding green chili sauce, a slice of green chili, and a wedge of red onion.
To eat a baati chokha (round roti), you simply tell the vendor how many of the little guys you want and he will place them right off the grill onto your plate. From there he added a scoop of unknown sauce which happened to be delicious, and the extra few condiments. I was actually surprised at just how good these little roti balls were - partly it was the garam masala sauce and partly it was the delicious sauce. Anyway, I really enjoyed these baati chokha's so much that I ended up eating a few of them, amazed at the flavors from such a simple filling treat.
This little Indian street food vendor in Varanasi is located right along the main burning ghat funeral lane. Though I didn't know at first, as soon as I ordered and started to eat, a funeral procession came marching down the lane as I ate. It was quite an exciting and unique street food snack to be eating while funerals marched past every few minutes.
If you visit North India, you should by all means try to sample some round roti baati chokha. They are filling and delicious, and I think they make a fabulous snack or even would be a wonderful breakfast.
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[@MarkWiens]

This guy was a true character... so much betel paan in his mouth he could barely talk!! But he made good food. It was a lot of fun.

[@myqueen9811]

Mark Wiens it's like weed for them

[@eamonkhan989]

Mark Wiens weed :D nice 1..... Im waiting for you to visit pakistan want you to check the fabulous food there let me know i will tell you some places :) peace

[@cpselvam1]

Hope you have not got infected with his pan filled mouth.

[@akshay2488]

You should have visited lucknow... The non vegetarian heaven of india... If you ever come over just let me know.. I'll provide you the exact details of where to eat and what to eat... Don't believe me.. check on the net what you've missed...

[@MarkWiens]

I was born in the US, and grew up traveling and living mostly in Africa along with my parents - both of whom are American.

[@didimaa3815]

Mark Wiens love you dear

[@Sam637]

But u don't look like American

[@mohammedaamir8720]

Mark you are fantastic and happy mind person

[@LeeDee5]

India wins so far for having some of the funnest "chefs".

[@MsDowntoearth11]

***** Haha, this one seems to have paan in his mouth.

[@VC27]

+AdityaShandilyaVEVO™ That's rather uncouth and unfair, coming from a fellow Indian. Why are you sucking up to the viewers from the western world? It is evident that the westerners have more respect for Indians and their customs than we do. What a shame. For the uninitiated, "CHUITIYA" is an extreme form of abuse in India. I feel sorry for this AdityaShandilyaVevo, he is a turncoat who earns no repect.

[@ancientindian7711]

+AdityaShandilyaVEVO™ SHUT UR MOUTH STFU..

[@KalpeshPatel78]

+Aditya .Shandilya I'm with you on that. Don't care what people say. That 'chef' is the one defaming India. Chewing paan, spitting everywhere. Plus lots of foreigners get ripped off. See his other videos. You can clearly see some of these guys ripping him off because he's a foreigner. Charging him more for smaller portions. People should be offended by that kind of behaviour than saying "you're sucking up to them".

[@lovelydude9820]

Yep funnest

[@MarkWiens]

Baati Chokha - Eating round rotis on the lanes of Varanasi, India

[@mirbar4073]

wow, that looks awesome Mark, and I love his little oven :)

[@smartme7334]

good work Mark. I am an Indian and I enjoy eating this bhati chokha every weekend.

[@sampathkumarreddy6513]

Nice food in India..... Visit different places of India...

[@motilalayan]

Yes it's quite famous in Varanasi.. The sauce you referred to is CHOKHA, made up of baked potato, baked tomatoes, baked brinjal on the same oven that u saw.. Mashed with onion, green chili, coriander, salt, rock salt, and other spices... Tastes yummy..

[@RockRahulK]

Man u miss so much things in Varanasi or I say you miss lots of fun in India because you don't have any Indian man to walk with with you and I also feel after watching this video you didn't get that type of respect that other Indian people give each others ...so I request you to when ever you coming India again please let me know I guaranteed you will enjoy more India....🙏 thanks man..

[@potofgold07]

interbiew chalat hai baati chokha ka.. HAHA (interview is going on for baati chokha)

[@subhankarkarmakar86]

Lag raha hai ki dukandar pi ke baitha hai.lol.

[@VFXBlogger]

potofgold07 interview ke baad SC ST ka caste certificate hoga toh job bhi miljayega 😂 aur fir litti chokha banjayega

[@sushanyshiv]

haha

[@amrita3000]

Lol

[@babyydoll1]

The guy making the Baati is so funny. India is great & Indians more

[@kapilpatel4849]

Kanupriya J Agreed.

[@vinaykumardubey3992]

Well it's actually a bihari version where baati is stuffed with spicy filling

[@BlackMambo5]

It's so hilarious watching the shop owner talking while eating a "paan". ROFL! That's typical Benarasi style! Haha! :D

[@AmiArpanPaul]

That man pronouced 'Bati Chhokka' as 'Bati toka' as he was chewing a pan in his mouth.. lol... :) I

[@TeamBui]

The guy looked so happy when you said his food tasted incredible, probably made his day :)

[@samuelandaudrey]

As fascinating as the food is I'm just as intrigued by the colorful characters selling it. I like that you're capturing more of the interaction you have with the vendors on your recent street food videos from India.

[@pratulmishra7317]

I m in USA . Varanasi is great city !!! Amazing unbelievable food there!!!!!

[@anandpandey183]

Kitna innocence hota h Varanasi k logo me Loved this video

[@amrita3000]

The seller said tomato potato, MArk turned to the camera and said a chilli sauce! lol

[@thedreamerthatdreams]

😂😂😂😂

[@raj250074]

That seller guy is a character. Innocent and no attitude. And very happy, will not be earning much in a day still happy.

[@neelotpalnikhil]

It is not garam masala inside bati aka litti. It is a mixture prepared by mixing garlic,ginger,onion powdered roasted gram,lemon,mustard oil and green chilli. And it is not sauce,it is called bharta/ chokha.Different ways to make it. All those people freaking out over cleanliness,just chill.He is a small timer earning his bread in a small place.He is not versed in your great manners.May be those who are germophobe should eat in a 5 star.This place caters to people who are not fortunate enough!!

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks Jimmy, yes they did have a little smoky flavor, really good. He was a pretty jolly man!

[@neneb621]

Your awesome :) My husband is from india and I have been there twice! I wanted to explore more on their street food. After, seeing you ate those delicious food makes me wanna go back and try them all.

[@motilalayan]

neneb621 welcome sister...

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks a lot for your uplifting comment. Would love to come to Slovakia sometimes. Is that where you're from and live?

[@SuzyGrowsMyBiz]

What a unique snack. Of all the numerous food vids I've watched, never seen round roti before. Love running into your older vids when they come up in my KZbin feed.

[@palashchakraborty5605]

Going home today....will have it...really nice when dipped in ghee(clarified butter).

[@MarkWiens]

Ha, coming soon Rajeev!

[@ayngelina]

Looks fantastic, more reason to head to India soon.

[@motilalayan]

Ayngelina Brogan welcome...

[@MarkWiens]

I'm thankful that they're nice to me!!!

[@MarkWiens]

Ah, thanks for sharing, so it's a winter food. They were delicious!

[@MarkWiens]

Cool, thanks for sharing. I also have an upcoming video of Rajasthani dal-baati they were good too!

[@pablopicasso289]

The cook has his mouth shaped sorta of in the way the godfather spoke lol

[@KalpeshPatel78]

+fellipe rodrigues He's having paan. Beetlnut snack but very harmful.

[@ancientindian7711]

+Kalpesh Patel if it is a tobacco, it is harmful, beetleleaf is good for health.

[@KalpeshPatel78]

Ancient Indian Yup.

[@MusicStringLovers]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👌👌

[@smitraninga]

also a famous thing of varanasi ... paan...😂

[@MarkWiens]

Yah, thanks. He was a happy guy and nice too!

[@MarkWiens]

Hey Charlotte, depends on if you like the beach on the mountains of the city, but I'd recommend a combination of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi, and then to the south Krabi and Koh Lanta. These are just a few choices. Good to hear you'll be coming to Thailand soon!

[@s2AA123]

i love it when you change your accent to an Indian accent to make the people understand better.

[@MarkWiens]

Thank you!

[@MarkWiens]

Hey Juj, awesome to hear you're from Varanasi, I did have an incredible time there!

[@MarkWiens]

Hey Faizal, the honest truth is that I really do like and enjoy eating a huge range of diverse food! Thanks so much for watching my videos!

[@nirjumonidas943]

Thanks mark that you love indian food

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks a lot. Yes, I travel with my wife!

[@Allahabady]

इंटरविव चलत ह, बाटी चोखा क !!

[@subham4496]

I know varanasi is the foodie junction in UP. But after seeing this video I am quiet delighted that people are quite friendly. Thank you Mark for uploading this video. 😊

[@ChiragKenia21]

Mark - it's not a sauce, it's more of a spicy curry made of potatoes and tomatoes! Good to see you had a good time! These are really cheap yet filling meal for people on the go. Must have tried it with some freshly churned butter and garlic chutney!

[@gm-wi8eu]

Mark, in my time, these, called LITTI, were roasted directly over cowdung patties. Very wonderful taste. Cows were fed only straw, leaves, twigs, therefore dungs was firm, rich in lignins, very low in the odoriferous compounds associated in loose dung of animals fed fishmeal and animal byproducts. This dung was like buffalo chips, burning sweet and hot. Littis are stuffed with parched chickpea flour mashed with water, mustard oil, green chili, occasionally sour pickles. Eaten with country ghee.

[@motilalayan]

gm2012 salute to your detailed knowledge on COWDUNG... HAHAHA

[@ohheythere5392]

he kept on saying that he is getting interviewed about his round roti.

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks a lot! With his mumbled speech from the chewing paan, I could barely understand him... but it was fun anyway!

[@MarkWiens]

That's just what comes naturally!

[@Salcuk]

One of the best travel and food videos on youtube !! Thumbs up :)

[@shashankmyefriend]

Awesome Banarasi shopkeeper......."Baati Chokha ka Interview chalat ba"

[@c.k.syedsadath9294]

im glad mark loves Indian food

[@MarkWiens]

Wow! I've tried the sweet one a few times, but didn't try any in Varanasi. Are you from Varanasi?

[@MelissaAlnardo]

lol the guy is like "this white man is taking my interview!"

[@srishtipathak04]

No. Not my interview. “Interview of bati chokha (the food) going on” 😂

[@MarkWiens]

Hey Emma, thanks a lot for your advice. Yah, I've done a few de-worming treatments and things like that and I do try to monitor my health quite well. Thanks for the reminder!

[@anshool21]

The guys expressions behind are priceless.....and Mark you are courageous to try this...thumbs up man!!!

[@gust3000]

You are such an inspiration for me Mark. I love your videos!

[@praveentiwari5301]

Baati chokha is the winner Fresh amd simple

[@alvalabeach4201]

Mark, all the horn blowing would drive me crazy! LOL!

[@TheHenryukl]

Haha, nice video mark! The food looks extremely delicious and i am drooling while watching. He is a very friendly vendor!

[@subhankarkarmakar86]

Hi Mark.I am discovering exotic Indian foods I have never seen before through your videos.Thanks.

[@MarkWiens]

Thank you very much Elizabeth!

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks a lot!

[@MarkWiens]

Hey, I actually travel with my wife now!

[@MarkWiens]

Ok, thanks for sharing Kaushik!

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks!

[@MrBentoUSA]

That looks so good Mark!! All these great India video's makes me want to watch one of my favorite movies "Outsourced". Keep them coming!

[@guptahimsocool]

The sauce is called as choka .. made of potato and tomato heated for long with indian spices. The bati in Rajisthan and bati in varanasi is completely different in taste.

[@MarkWiens]

Hey Ein, thank you so much, I would love to visit sometime. That sounds great!

[@MarkWiens]

Thank you Jules!

[@MarkWiens]

Hey Mazuriah, I've just been married for the last month now, we signed all the documents but didn't have a ceremony yet!

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks Ayngelina, food is a great reason!

[@MarkWiens]

Thanks a lot Harsh!

[@LoveysNails]

Omg! I love tasting cultures! I been watching all your vids!

[@isaacvipin]

That seller made this video very interesting

[@MarkWiens]

Thank you so much!

[@MarkWiens]

Thank you so much for watching my videos!

[@MarkWiens]

Haha, yes he was quite a cheerful fun guy!

[@TheOneAndOnlyDerp]

He was really cheerful! What a lovely personality!

[@MarkWiens]

Thank you for watching the thumbs up!

[@pwndutt]

Hi Mark, just dropping in to say that I loved the way you tackled the über enthusiastic seller!! I just returned from Nepal and then found you...

[@MarkWiens]

Hey thanks a lot Dan! I've heard about that, but haven't seen it, I'll have to check it out too!

[@MarkWiens]

You're welcome, thank you for watching!

[@kadapasandeep59]

This is truly healthy street food...

[@jaskaur9793]

Incredible India ....

[@OrganicFaithFactory]

Your video is exactly what I like! Thanks for making them

[@MrBlackmetalkid]

Mark's videos are the best as always. Just as addictive as drugs :)

[@saurabhsharma7273]

How he made the classic bati choka dish.... bad... Bati's are dipped in desi ghee.... And r served with dal ,choka , buttermilk raitas ,green chutney ,salad...n it taste like heaven.. All these thinvlgs r available in our states ...UP india🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@906661]

Yum, looks so good! Thanks for such high quality vids. I love seeing all these places you go to! Really makes me happy.

[@veeramoorthy1000]

he wouldt have chewed... thats the basic thing many food sellers miss.. i just love this food. banaras is best place for rotis, paan

[@TripuraKaparthi]

this video z so hilarious! the baatichokha selling guy is so happy and super proud of his interview and presence on the TV channel :)

[@db.4725]

Amo tus vídeos...

[@MarkWiens]

Wow, crazy, I'll search about it.

[@asunshinedragonplus]

You're so nice to the locals! I commend you for it.

[@geeganmj]

Forwarding you along to all my food travel buds. Great genuine videos.

[@JANnified]

I love that you are always very nice, very genuine and appreciative to the locals (: Thumbs Up!

[@larrysong953]

The guy making roti balls wanted to steal the show behind Mark. ha ha ha.

[@MarkWiens]

Yes, quite spicy!

[@bonahemam1428]

pliz come to northeast india

[@sudarshan3965]

Baati with daal is great Combination

[@ajeetkumarsharma4187]

Batti chokha Ka interview chalat hao raja ...... typical Varanasi style

[@MarkWiens]

No, I was alright in India. Thanks!

[@MarkWiens]

Hey Himanshu, I mostly saw this in Varanasi. Have you ever visited? What part of India are you from?

[@pratyushmishr]

that shop owner epitomizes typical Banarasi.....proud to be one myself :-)

[@Kirchenjesus]

Your Videos always makes me crazy, so awesome

[@idontlikebadjokes]

oh my goodness i would love to try this roti!!!!! wahhhh so hungry!!!!!

[@E.Fraser68]

I Love how you Love food!!!! These videos of yours are just tasty.

[@efsa59]

I'm glad to hear that, Mark. You do look healthy. Keep up the good work. I enjoy all your videos. Say hi to your wife.